A Certain Unusual Vampire
by WitchHatsFTW
Summary: It was July 19th. The fault lay in that date. Arakuyo Kenji is your average Level 3 Esper gearing up for summer in Academy City. Yet it is on this date that Kenji's life is thrown into chaos when he stumbles across a mysterious girl collapsed in the middle of an alley. In the heart of Academy City, where science and technology rule, can there really be such a thing as a "vampire"?
1. Volume 1 Prologue - Brush Past

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

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 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **-Prologue-**

 **Impression**

 _ **Brush_Past.**_

"My, you're rather bold, don't you think?"

The words came across almost playful as they left the lips of their owner between heavy breaths. The sound of shoes pounding against pavement and scuffling as someone darted around bystanders could be heard, but only if one listened closely enough through the noise of gossiping schoolgirls and laughing friends walking through the bustling shopping area.

This particular shopping district had been positioned strategically between many of the academies and their respective dorms, meaning that students walking to and from school would inevitably pass by the many shops and cafes lining the city streets. Yet it couldn't be said that this particular shopping district owed its popularity entirely to this convenient layout alone. Even students and other citizens who didn't go anywhere near this particular area in their normal routine would still drop by for some of the the many things this district had to offer.

However, there were at least two people in the shopping area who would not allow themselves to be distracted by the colorful signs of malls and arcades. After all, they weren't here for a shopping trip.

"Robbing a woman of her purse like this? A bit petty, isn't it?"

Despite the context of her words, the woman's tone was once again playful rather than displeased. One could easily mistake her teasing tone with a blissfully unconcerned one, but it wasn't as though she didn't care if she were robbed or not. On the contrary, she wouldn't have bothered tailing the scruffy delinquent so far from the park where he had snagged her bag if she didn't care about its contents. It was more to the point that she wasn't concerned with him getting away.

The same could not be said for the delinquent, who was no less than absolutely terrified of the eerily pleasant woman who had bothered chasing him this far. If one were to catch a glimpse of the robber's face as he ran by, with beads of sweat on his forehead and his face twisted into some combination of panic and unease, it would seem to them that he was more than immediately regretting his decision to rob this woman in particular. He didn't think he had ever encountered anyone this persistent before, and the thief was a simple delinquent, not a marathon runner.

The thief's shifty eyes darted around and fell upon a crowd of people walking close enough together that he could hide in it effectively. The thief ducked into the crowd unnoticed and hoped to lay low long enough to catch his breath.

The thief didn't dare look around to see if the woman was following him, as though the mere act of checking to see if she was behind him would cause her to appear out of nowhere. Not to mention that the act of looking around with a worried expression on his face would immediately pinpoint him as a shady character to anyone looking for him. As he was now, with his dark brown hair and plain school uniform that he still wore despite his tendency to skip classes, the delinquent would not stand out too much in a crowd if kept himself inconspicuous. It was out of sheer luck that he managed to even get out of her immediate line of sight like this, and he dared not give himself away in such a manner.

Yet despite his best efforts, a moment later he caught a quick glimpse of the woman's silver hair and broke out in a cold sweat.

She hadn't seen him yet, he was confident of that much, but she was making her way towards the crowd as though she knew he was hiding within it. He cursed under his breath and subconsciously tightened his grip on the handbag he had snatched from her. She'd catch sight of him sooner or later, and the closer she got to him, the lower were his chances of getting away unscathed.

The delinquent, in spite of his burning lungs and aching legs, took off in a full-on sprint once again.

As the thief turned to look back to see if the woman was on his tail again- and indeed she was- he failed to notice a young man in a high school uniform who was about to walk past him.

Perhaps it was his decision to look back that sealed his fate, or perhaps he was just destined to fail this particular heist, but in that instant he bumped shoulders with the high school student. It was at this moment that two things happened.

First, the woman's bag, which he had tucked more-or-less securely underneath his arm, grew heavy and dropped to the ground with a loud thud. The thief quickly grabbed hold of the straps in one fluid motion, but trying to carry the bag now was like trying drag a heavy rock.

The second and more immediate threat to the delinquent was that the high school student had spun on his heel and turned his attention towards him. The student was now glaring at the delinquent disapprovingly as he watched the thief's pitiful attempts to carry away the now incredibly heavy handbag.

The delinquent looked up with a nervous expression on his face. It was at this point he got a full look at the high school student.

The student had blood red hair which he wore down, mostly combed but with a few stubborn strands here and there. His eyes were a sharp amber and burned with a fiery glow as he stared down the unsuspecting theif. He had one of his hands shoved in the pocket of his navy blue pants, and another arm was raised over his shoulder, loosely carrying a school bag. He wore a white dress shirt and a maroon tie, the latter of which was worn loose and swayed a bit in the summer breeze.

It was quite obvious he was on his way home from school, an unlucky coincidence if there ever was one.

It was July 19th.

The fault lay in that date.

Today was the last day of school before the city-wide summer break. Had the thief waited one more day, perhaps he would've not run into such a person in these circumstances.

"Y-you!? What the hell did you do to this bag?"

The delinquent wanted to have more tact than that, but he was already sweating bullets from the woman with the silver hair tailing him. This new development was doing nothing to calm him down.

The high school student scoffed a bit at his inquiry, "I used my ability on it. I thought that was obvious enough."

"A-ability!?"

Once again, the delinquent's response received a scoff. Or rather, it was something more of a sigh this time around.

"Honestly, I don't see why that surprises you at all. If this were any other city, I'd give you a break for not planning for it, but come on. This is Academy City. Did you really think you wouldn't run into a single Esper, pulling a stunt like this?"

The delinquent had in fact taken into account that he might run into an Esper looking to play hero. He had incorrectly assumed at that point that he'd be able to duck away from any attack and keep running like a madman.

In truth, there were many different Espers with abilities that would stop that plan dead in its tracks, but it just so happened that the red-haired high school student was the one the thief ran into today. As the thief watched the Esper roll his shoulders and crack his neck, he was beginning to think today was not his lucky day.

Still, not willing to wait around for the Esper to make the first move, the thief produced a knife from his pocket and charged at the red-haired student with a loud battle cry.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Perhaps in the delinquent's mind, his charge had some sort of tactical reasoning behind it, but all the red-haired student saw was a sloppy and poorly executed attack.

The red-haired student dodged to the left, still with his one hand in his pocket and his other hand holding his bag, and sighed yet again. The delinquent ran straight on past, still brandishing the knife, but with his back turned towards his opponent he left himself wide open for a counter attack.

"Seriously, I can understand you not reading books, or even manga for that matter…"

The red-haired student removed his hand from his pocket and closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, as though concentrating.

"But seriously, don't you at least watch TV? Since when does robbing someone in broad daylight ever turn out well for the culprit!?"

The delinquent whirled around just in time to see the red-haired student's fist headed straight for his face. The delinquent tried to duck, but his opponent shifted his punch's trajectory to meet the new location and landed a strong left hook.

Under normal circumstances, the blow would've dazed the delinquent for but a moment and given the delinquent an opportunity to recover and counterattack. Yet as the student's fist connected with his jaw, the wannabe thief noticed something odd about it. The punch was much heavier and had a lot more force behind it than a normal punch.

With a hit that hard, the delinquent could do little more than try to regain his balance as he was knocked backwards. After a few moments, he managed to shake off the punch and tried to lash out once again at the red-haired student.

At least, that had been his plan. Unfortunately for the delinquent, by the time he managed to recover from the hit, his opponent had already geared up for the next strike. The red-haired high school student had closed the distance the knockback had created and spun on one foot as he lifted the other to deliver a swift kick to the delinquent's stomach, once again with the same unusual heaviness that his punch possessed.

"Gaaaahhhh!"

The delinquent doubled over, clutching his stomach in pain. A bad move on his part, for this put the red-haired high school student in the perfect position to throw an uppercut. As the delinquent bent forwards, the red-haired student brought his fist up to meet the thief's face halfway. The delinquent was sent flying backwards, tripping over his feet as he tried to regain his senses and stumbling before falling onto his back roughly.

"You know," the high school student smirked as he spoke, "It's petty thieves and delinquents with no fighting experience like you that are just there to make guys like me look cool. Try to use your brain next time."

Even if the "advice" the red-haired student was actually meant for the thief in question, the delinquent did not hear his words. The delinquent had lost consciousness the moment he hit the pavement.

The red-haired high school student let out a deep breath as though shaking off the fight he just had and walked calmly over to the place where the thief had first dropped the woman's handbag. He reached down and snatched up the bag by its straps with little effort, having reverted whatever his ability had done to it entirely. The student looked down at the bag briefly before scanning his eyes across the crowd in search of the bag's rightful owner.

It was at this moment, however, that a look of horrified realization washed over the red-haired student's face. The student looked back down at the bag and his expression only deepened as though his suspicions were confirmed.

"Wait, this bag… it's…"

"Arakuyo-kun!"

The voice that called out for the red-haired student had in fact come from the owner of the bag. The silver-haired woman who had tailed the thief relentlessly to punish him for his misdeeds broke through the ever thinning crowd of people who had taken an interest in the situation.

The red-haired student known as Arakuyo Kenji turned around hesitantly to face its owner.

The woman that stood before him possessed long silver hair and gentle green eyes, and was smiling happily with her arm outstretched to receive her rescued bag.

There was no way Kenji wouldn't immediately recognize that ever-pleasant face that hid the true intentions of the woman's heart. The shock and surprise caused Kenji to utter her name in fear.

"K-Kamishiri-sensei!?"

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

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 **AN: If you've read this far, thank you for reading the prologue chapter of my latest story-writing endeavor. New chapters will be released every Monday, at least until the entirety of Volume 1 is uploaded, so expect more to come in the future. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll be back with another one next week!**


	2. Volume 1 Chapter 1 - Scarlet Night

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

* * *

 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **Chapter 1**

 **A Chance Encounter**

 _ **Scarlet_Night.**_

 **Part 1**

Kenji let out a long sigh as he climbed up the exterior stairs leading to the fourth floor of his dorm building. Like many high school dorms in Academy City, this particular building was a multi-story complex standing in one of the more residential areas of District 7. The walls of the building were painted a neutral grey color, and had an external hallway wrapping itself around the entire building on each floor. There was a staircase and an elevator off to one side of the building leading each floor, but for quite some time now the elevator had been out of commission. It had become something of a joke among the student body whether or not the school would ever get around to fixing it.

"To think I'd get wrapped up in such a situation…"

By situation, Kenji meant the recent attempted theft and successful retrieval of his teacher's bag. It wasn't that Kenji minded playing the hero, and it wasn't like he couldn't handle such a one-sided fight, but it was what transpired after that had drained Kenji of his enthusiasm.

"That sadistic teacher… she has a way of making the atmosphere tense and uncomfortable for students…"

Unprepared for an encounter with Kamishiri so soon after the last school day before summer break, Kenji had been caught off guard and managed to fall victim to his teacher's sadistic whims. Even though in reality she had not lifted a single finger against the red-haired Esper, escaping such a situation unharmed was a minor miracle in Kenji's mind.

Kenji made it to the fourth floor of the building and turned away from the stairwell, making his way down the hallway to his domicile. He made his way to the second door from the end of the hallway and stopped. Small brass characters arranged into the room number, 407, and a plate with the name "Arakuyo Kenji" engraved upon it were screwed to the wall next to the door.

Kenji retrieved a small plastic card from his wallet and passed it over the optical scanner on the doorknob. The card in his hands was a student identification card issued by his academy, but it could also function as a bank card and an electronic key card to his dorm. A single beep and a clack as the tumblers released, and Kenji opened the door to his dorm with a sigh of relief.

Kenji's dorm, in all honesty, wasn't very much to look at at all. Most of the items aside from those in his room came with the dorm from day one, and though he had rearranged the furniture a bit to suit his liking, it definitely gave the entire dorm an impersonal feel. One could easily described his home as bland or outright barren, though Kenji wasn't really design-oriented in the first place, and he never had people over often enough to let this fact bother him.

His abode wasn't large, but it was accommodating enough for a single person to live more than comfortably by themselves; certainly larger than the small one-room apartments lower level Espers tended to get stuck with. The door opened up into a main living room area with a kitchenette that sat to its immediate left. It was positioned off to one side of the main room, with a wall positioned directly to its right. Two wooden doors sat along the otherwise barren stretch of white wall that spanned the length of the room- one leading to a bathroom, and the other to a small, separate bedroom.

Against the opposite wall of the main room was positioned the only piece of upholstery in the entire apartment; an off-white sofa. It was one of those modern ones with sharp corners and ridged profiles that looked shiny and plastic and seemed like it'd be more uncomfortable than it actually was. In front of the sofa sat a small wooden table, far enough away from the sofa itself that one could sit comfortably in the gap between the two pieces of furniture. On a small wooden table in the corner of the room sat a decent-sized flat screen television, with a digital clock mounted on the wall immediately above it.

A small wall with a rectangular pass-through separated the living room area from the kitchenette, which was so incredibly small one could hardly work in it without feeling cramped. There was a small stove and oven sitting against the left wall, sandwiched between the pitifully small counter and the aforementioned divider. A microwave and a rice cooker took up most of the counter space, and immediately above those were a set of cabinets that held all the dishes and glassware Kenji had to his name. A large, white refrigerator sat in a small gap designed specifically for it between the cabinets and another, smaller divider which sat next to the door.

Kenji made his way over to said refrigerator. Being both a high school student living on his own and given the size of his kitchen, the refrigerator served as Kenji's main source of nourishment. He'd buy many premade meals from convenience stores and the like to save him the trouble of trying to cook in his kitchenette or eating out all the time.

However, upon swinging the fridge door open in search of nourishment, Kenji suddenly realized his fatal mistake. In all the excitement from earlier this afternoon, Kenji had entirely forgotten he had been in the shopping district that late after class because he had intended to pick up some food to restock his fridge. He had polished off the last yakisoba bread earlier that morning, having nothing else to eat and already running late for school.

Kenji cast a sidelong glance out the small window along the back wall of his dorm. The window wasn't terribly large, but he could clearly see the warm orange glow the sun was casting across the city. It was summer, so if the sun was setting now, it meant it was later than Kenji had realized.

Listening to his stomach growl in protest, Kenji sighed and slipped his shoes back on.

"Looks like there's no helping it… I'm off to the store, I guess."

At that, Kenji stepped back out of his dorm in resignation and left, setting back out into a city painted gold.

* * *

 **Part 2**

The sun had set surprisingly quickly, and the dark stillness of evening in Academy City quickly settled upon the normally busy district.

Due to the citywide curfew imposed over the students of academy city, many of the buildings in the shopping district were a dull, lifeless grey. Still, although the majority of shops and restaurants had closed doors and darkened windows, there were still a few nightly businesses that stayed open for the older crowds in the city. These buildings stood out like beacons with their glowing signs and flashing neon.

Among these was a 24-hour convenience store that Kenji happened to frequent, which at the moment was the red-haired high school student's intended destination.

Kenji walked down the street with a dull expression on his face and his hands in his pockets, glancing around and taking in the sight of the once-lively shopping area. It almost amazed him how still everything was when night rolled around. It was like the entire city fell into its own sort of slumber alongside its inhabitants.

Noting this stillness settling into the streets around him, Kenji cast a quick glance at his cell phone for the time. He wasn't exactly late yet, but the city-wide curfew imposed over all students in Academy City was fast approaching. Aside from a few stragglers and delinquents who looked like they wouldn't be bothered by such things anyway, most everyone had already made their way back to their dorms by this point.

Still, undeterred by the impending curfew, Kenji forged onward.

It wasn't that Kenji was one of those rebellious types, per se, but to be completely fair he wasn't worried too much about being caught out after curfew. At most, he'd only be a few minutes late, and as long as he made trip fast he would be most of the way back to his dorms with a convenience store bag in hand if anyone managed to spot him. He doubted any Anti-skill officer would do anything but warn him to be a bit more punctual and mindful of the time before continuing, but even then, it wasn't like there were Anti-skill set up at every street corner, waiting for students to break curfew. Sure, they patrolled around, but anyone mindful of the patrols could probably stay out all night and not get caught at all.

Not that he could see any real reason for doing such a thing in the first place.

Kenji let his eyes wander as he walked. Across the road, a pair of high school students who looked very much like a couple were walking hand in hand down the empty streets as though they were the only ones in the world. Huddled up in the darkness of a nearby alleyway, a few thuggish figures stood talking about something-or-other as they glanced around with shifty eyes.

It was a habit Kenji had grown accustomed to walking around in Academy City. A quick glance here, a short look there...

It was at that point that Kenji saw something that made him stop in his tracks.

In that moment, something caught his eye as he glanced down another alleyway. It looked as though some shiny surface had caught the faint moonlight and glistened a deep scarlet.

Kenji turned his head fully to locate just what it was that had caught his eyes, and they widened in shock.

A lumpy silhouette lay sprawled on the ground, far enough into the shadows cast by the two buildings that, without paying proper attention, someone would be hard-pressed to notice it at all. As Kenji crossed the street hesitantly, he got a clearer view of what the dark silhouette was and his heart jumped into his throat.

The lump hunched over on the ground was conspicuously human-shaped, as though it were a body wrapped in a grey cloth. It was hard to make out, but Kenji could just about see a few stray wisps of green hair fanning out from where its head should be.

That in and of itself wouldn't be horribly unsettling to Kenji. No, he was more greatly disturbed by what surrounded the slumped figure. Spread out around the figure on all sides was a pool of semi-coagulated red liquid. Some of it had already dried, but there was so much of it that some still glistened with wetness in the low light of the alley.

Blood.

Kenji made his way over to the figure with much reservation. He was no medical expert, but the amount of blood surrounding the figure was not insignificant. Kenji wouldn't be surprised in the figure lying on the ground was still alive, but he also wouldn't be too surprised if it turned out they were already dead. Such a though made the red-haired high school student shudder. He had never come across a murder scene before, and he silently prayed this encounter wouldn't change that fact.

As Kenji approached the figure, he squatted down and nudged them tentatively with his arm.

"H-hey," he called out, his tone laced with worry, "Y-you okay?"

It was a pretty dumb question, when Kenji thought about it. Anyone who had bled this much was clearly not "okay" in any sense of the term. Kenji almost immediately regretted asking it, but it didn't seem like the person heard him, for he received no response.

"Hey!" he tried again, opting out of adding anything onto that in hopes of avoiding saying something else embarrassingly stupid.

Once again receiving no response, Kenji took a moment to weigh his options.

He had already attempted to make contact. If the person truly was dead, he had established his presence at the crime scene my trying to wake the victim up. If this turned out to be a murder scene, he'd have to be the one to report it to Anti-skill. If there was even a remote chance this unresponsive figure was still alive, however, they would definitely need medical attention immediately if they had any hopes of staying that way. In that situation, he'd have to call an ambulance.

Either way, his best option was to simply contact the emergency line in Academy City. Fully prepared to accept his role in the situation, no matter which outcome lie ahead, Kenji reached into his pocket and removed his phone.

It was at this very moment, however, that the figure lying on the ground attempted to pull themselves to their feet and muttered something inaudible that Kenji couldn't quite hear fully.

"Y-you're…!"

Kenji's attention immediately left the phone in his hand and snapped back to the figure he had tried to rouse earlier. As the figure sat up, the grey cloak draped over her body shifted and fell, giving Kenji a better view of the person before him. It was quite evident that she was female, and Kenji could now fully see the source of all that blood. Just underneath her left breast, a hole was ripped through her shirt and into her flesh, and fresh blood still glistened as it trickled out of the areas that had yet to clot over. Her face was slightly smudged with dirt and dried blood, her green locks were matted and dirtied, and her eyes were dull and glossed over, as if she was on the verge of leaving this mortal world.

Moving her lips as though she wanted to speak, she managed to muster up enough strength to utter out a single word.

"B-bl-blood…."

It took a moment for the word to fully register with Kenji, but when he finally realized what she said, his brain jumped to the most logical conclusion.

"Y-yeah… you've lost a lot of blood…"

The green-haired woman frowned, as though the meaning behind her words had been lost between her lips and his ears. She shook her head lightly, and made an addendum to her previous phrase.

"Ne-need… blood…."

Kenji froze. Need blood? She needed blood? He figured she'd need a transfusion after bleeding so heavily, but she had made it sound like a request, as though it were something he could give her readily, like water or food. In fact, her tone was unlike that of a person truly fearing for their life.

"W-what do you-"

Kenji had been about to ask the green-haired woman to clarify when her otherwise dull eyes glistened with impatience and she lunged at Kenji with strength she shouldn't very well have. Kenji backed up instinctively, but felt his back press against the cold brick wall of the alleyway.

"So…sorry…. about this…."

The woman had uttered the words quickly, and without waiting for a response, she pulled herself close to Kenji and moved her head close to his neck. Kenji sat frozen, both too stunned to say anything and too confused to think to push her away from him. He could feel her hot, ragged breaths on his collarbone as she leaned in close to his head. He winced suddenly as he felt two small pinpricks sink into the side of his neck.

" _Wh…what the hell is going on!? Is she… is she_ drinking _my blood!?"_

Although Kenji himself couldn't feel the blood being drained from his body, the woman positioned on top of him was in fact feasting on the scarlet liquid running through his veins. Kenji had tried to move his arm to stop her, or at least get her attention, but for some reason he didn't have the power to lift it, as though she had sedated him the moment she plunged her teeth into his neck.

One thought crossed Kenji's mind as he sat powerless to her whims, a thought that sent his scientific-oriented mind into immediate denial mode.

" _C-could she be… a-"_

Finally she backed off, leaning back with a contented look as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Unlike before, when her movements seemed strained and her eyes looked dull and lifeless, she moved with elegance and her eyes shone with a bright emerald hue.

Looking over at her once more, Kenji was shocked to discover that, while her shirt was still torn from the injury, the flesh underneath was a healthy peach, and all traced of the wound had entirely disappeared.

Kenji had been rolling words over and over in his head, but nothing he did changed the fact that he was utterly speechless.

"Don't just sit there with your mouth hanging open," the woman teased, breaking the silence herself. Her voice sounded much smoother than it did before, "You'll let bugs in."

Kenji closed his mouth and finally decided to ask the biggest question on his mind.

"W-who…. What… are you?"

The green-haired girl sighed and took a deep breath, as though she were about to explain a lot to him.

"Well, I-"

"She's a vampire," a voice whose owner went unseen broke the silence and interrupted whatever it was the green-haired girl was planning on saying to Kenji. It was eerily blunt about what it had just said, but more to the point it was very much inhuman. It sounded as though two people were speaking in unison through an electric fan, with one voice that was high pitched and the other voice lower than any normal human's.

"That's-!"

The green-haired girl reacted immediately, as though she knew the source of the voice, a reaction which did not go unnoticed by a certain red-haired high school student. Kenji wanted to ask her who- or _what-_ the voice belonged to, but he had the distinct impression that he'd be finding out soon enough as it was.

More to the point, from both the voice's tone and the green-haired woman's nervous expression, he also got the impression that the owner of said voice wasn't an old friend of hers.

Both Kenji and the green-haired girl had tensed up and glanced around warily, waiting for the voice's owner to appear before them. However, one difference stood between the two as they searched. Kenji kept snapping his head back and forth, keeping his attention focused on the two most immediate entrances to the alleyway. The green-haired girl, on the other hand, kept looking down at the ground beneath her, as though the enemy would emerge from the earth itself.

Both snapped their heads and turned the wall of the alleyway as another strange sound broke the silence.

The distinct sound of rocks scraping and grinding against each other could be heard as a bulge appeared in the wall of the alleyway in front of them. It grew larger and more defined as it extended out from the wall, the wall's texture warping to its shapes and contours like a warped image on wrinkled fabric. The shape grew larger and more defined as it emerged, wall wrapping around itself and breaking off to form very recognizable shapes. A head, arms, and an upper body, followed by one leg, and then the other, making jerky movements, struggling as though whatever it was was pulling itself out of thick tar. As the figure entirely left the wall, the surface snapped back and rippled like the surface of a pond.

Kenji wasn't an expert on every single Esper ability in the world, but he was fairly certain that such things fell outside the realm of possibility for Espers. It was as though something in the back of his mind instinctively knew that whatever he had just seen wasn't fundamentally grounded in science. His gut told him that it was something more fantastic and mundane than the complex, technical powers Espers like him possessed. There was one word that filled Kenji's mind as he grasped for some way to explain what just happened, but the very thought almost made him want to shudder at its sheer absurdity.

 _"M...magic...? No... such a thing couldn't possibly..."_

Still, whether the figure was using an Esper ability or not was slowly becoming the least of Kenji's worries.

The stone humanoid shimmered as the texture of the brick wall gave way to a stony being that was clearly not human. While it stood around the height of a human, and looked clearly masculine, it's whole body was seemingly comprised of smooth, grey stone. While Kenji didn't doubt a sufficiently skilled Esper could create armor out of stone, this creature was decidedly different. There were no joints or openings in the creatures stony surface at all, and the being moved with weight that seemed indicative of a fully solid stone body.

The being's stone body was cracked in some places and jagged in others, with gaps in the rocks forming joints that gave off a faint blue glow. Its eyes, likewise, were little more than glowing, half-circle gaps in the stone surface of its face. Its "mouth" was a thin, jagged gap that spread from ear to ear in a demonic grin, and likewise glowed the same blue hue. In its chest was set a polished orb that seemed to glow the brightest, and flickered ever so subtly as the _thing_ spoke once more, taking a step closer to the two.

"She's a vampire," it repeated, grinning wider, "and she's my _prey._ "

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **AN: So, the titular vampire has been introduced! Hope you guys enjoyed the first proper chapter of A Certain Unusual Vampire. Once again, new chapters will be released every Monday until the conclusion of Volume 1, so stay tuned because there's plenty more to come. Thank you for reading, and I'll be back with another one next week!**


	3. Volume 1 Chapter 2 - Into Hell

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

* * *

 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Fangs and Stone**

 _ **Into_Hell.**_

 **Part 1**

Kenji felt like he had been plunged headfirst into a world he simply couldn't comprehend.

Before him, cutting off the most direct path back towards the main streets, was a creature seemingly made entirely of stone glaring back at him with glowing blue eyes. Something in the back of Kenji's mind instinctively understood the powers this being seemed to possess were not of the same nature of his own. The way the creature had emerged from the wall told him that much.

Behind him was the green-haired girl that he had found collapsed in the alley way, looking considerably better considering moments ago she had been lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood. If outright biting Kenji with what he presumed were fangs hadn't been enough to tip him off, he stone creature had outright called her a vampire. Not to mention that her wound, which was quite severe, had disappeared completely, leaving behind only the girl's torn, blood-stained shirt as evidence she had been injured at all.

At the moment, Kenji was having a hard time deciding which of the two was more bizarre.

While Kenji was busy replaying the events of the past few minutes over again in his mind, the stone creature took a few steps forward and began to speak.

"Tch… to think that in the time I left to contact my master about my whereabouts, an Esper would get involved unnecessarily."

The stone creature made a strange noise that Kenji interpreted as a sigh as it rolled its neck, producing the sound of stone grinding against stone as it did so. It looked at Kenji, then the green-haired girl behind him, and continued.

"Well, it's fine either way. My target's the vampire. It doesn't matter whoever else gets involved."

The creature spoke as if it were merely talking to itself. At any rate, it didn't seem like the comment was addressed towards either Kenji or the green-haired girl.

"If you want to run, Esper, go ahead," the stone creature offered with a grin, moving aside to give Kenji room to step past him, "This doesn't really concern you anyway, so I won't-"

Whatever the stone creature had been about to say was cut off abruptly when Kenji charged him and slammed his fist hard into the being's face. The stone creature was caught-off guard and the punch had been much heavier than it anticipated, so he lost his balance and fell to the floor with a loud thud.

"To hell it doesn't concern me!" Kenji yelled indignantly, shaking off his fist from the hard impact. Turning around, he called out to the green-haired girl, "Come on!"

Without waiting for a response, Kenji dashed towards the back of the alleyway towards the mysterious girl. As he ran past her, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along to follow him, earning himself a "H-hey!" of protest for his trouble.

This particular alleyway was not open on both sides. A red brick building- a small café, if Kenji recalled correctly- formed one wall of the alleyway, and a stone grey building- a clothing store- formed the other. However, a third building stood in their way in the back, a building with similar stone grey walls that Kenji couldn't quite remember what was for. The third building formed a kind of branching path with the other two buildings, with additional alleyways heading off in either direction, perpendicular to the first alleyway. Without giving it too much mind, Kenji turned left, the green-haired girl having no choice but to follow.

"What the hell are you doing!?" the green-haired girl yelled at him as they ran.

Kenji looked back in confusion, "What do you mean 'what am I doing'? I'm trying to get us away from that stone bastard!"

"No, I mean… Why are you getting involved in all this!? He's after me! You should get out of here before he-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a stone fist emerged from the wall and slammed hard into Kenji's face. Kenji, unprepared for the assault, was sent tumbling backwards into the other wall of the allyway. The iron-tinged taste of blood filled his mouth as he slumped against the back wall with a grunt.

"Earthwyrm!" the green-haired girl gasped in surprise as the being emerged fully from the wall. She positioned herself defensively between the stone creature and the red-haired teen behind her, "Leave him out of this, I'm the one you're after!"

"Tch, I was getting him back from earlier," The stone creature, who was apparently named Earthwyrm, replied, rubbing his face, "That punch… it wasn't normal."

"So you noticed, then. My ability."

Recovering from the strong hit from earlier, Kenji stood up and grinned in spite of the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"I'm only a Level 3, so it's probably not that impressive… Well, it's not like I'm about to brag about it like some idiot and tell you how it works anyway. If you can get those rocks out of your brain, maybe you can figure it out!"

Kenji crouched down, placing his hand on the ground, and a small hole in the shape of a half-spheroid appeared between Earthwyrm's feet. It would be easy to say that the dirt had disappeared, but dispersed would be a more accurate term. Small particles of dust filled the air around them and began to settle to the floor.

The loosened ground beneath Earthwyrm's feet could no longer support the weight of the stone creature, and he stumbled forwards as the dirt shifted beneath him.

Kenji took this opportunity to pick something off the ground before standing up. He quickly bridged the narrow gap between himself and the stone creature before whirling around on his heel and delivering a strong roundhouse kick to the being's side. Once again there was an unnaturally heavy weight behind the kick, and Earthwyrm was sent tumbling sideways into a nearby trashcan.

Earthwyrm stood up and growled at the red-haired Esper, but Kenji didn't look the least bit intimidated. In fact, Kenji was giving Earthwyrm a sideways smirk.

"Wipe that smug look off your face, you damned Esper!"

"Heh…"

Kenji was giving Earthwyrm a smug look, as if to say he had already won.

Earthwyrm hadn't noticed it yet.

In Kenji's hands he held a small canister of gasoline.

Earthwyrm couldn't smell it, but in the air all around him was a cloud of vaporous gasoline, courtesy of Kenji's ability.

Kenji smirked and threw the empty metal canister at Earthwyrm, which the stone creature sidestepped carelessly.

The canister sailed harmlessly past Earthwyrm and struck the trashcan behind him with a surprisingly heavy clang. Metal scraped against metal, and the impact produced sparks.

"Get down!" Kenji yelled, grabbing the green-haired girl and tackling her to the ground.

A fireball of burning gasoline flared up behind them, completely engulfing Earthwyrm and the surrounding area.

Kenji had concentrated the gasoline vapors around Earthwyrm alone, so the small explosion was relatively contained. As the fireball slowly dissipated, Kenji pulled himself to his feet and turned to help the green-haired girl up.

"You're crazy," the green-haired girl chided.

"Hey, it worked, right?" Kenji replied, a smug grin plastered across his face.

Kenji didn't know it yet, but he had spoken too soon.

Not a second after Kenji had posed the question, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind him. Alarmed, Kenji whirled around in time to watch Earthwyrm emerge from the quickly settling cloud of smoke, taking slow steps forward.

He was covered with superficial cracks and scorch marks, but the explosion didn't seem to do him much harm after all.

Kenji cursed and wiped the dust off his face with the back of his hand.

" _Damn, I'm not dealing with a normal human here… He's made of stone, so of course that wouldn't work!"_

Earthwyrm glared at Kenji furiously before charging at him. Kenji ducked left and let the creature's fist slam hard into the wall behind him. As Kenji was crouching, he spotted the glint of something metallic lying on the ground in the alleyway.

Kenji grinned.

Earthwyrm reeled his arm back and swept at Kenji with a low kick. The moment Earthwyrm only had one foot on the ground, Kenji slammed his foot hard against the stone creature's only footing. Earthwyrm lost his balance and Kenji delivered another swift kick to his stomach, toppling the creature long enough for Kenji grab what he had seen on the ground before and grasp it tightly in his hands.

Earthwyrm whirled around with an irritated grunt and swung one of his arms in a wide arch at Kenji. The red-haired Esper took the opening and charged at Earthwyrm, barely dodging his swipe by ducking underneath it. Under Earthwyrm's extended arm, and moving too fast for the stone creature to react with his other, Kenji jammed the flathead screwdriver he had found on the ground of the alleyway into one of the shallow cracks in Earthwyrm's shoulder.

He immediately followed up his attack by striking the screwdriver with the back of his other hand, like a hammer hitting a chisel.

The impact drove the metal tool deeper into Earthwyrm's arm and like a wedge, widened the shallow crack in the stone surface of his arm.

Earthwyrm cried out in pain and punched Kenji in the stomach roughly before shoving him aside. Using his other arm, the stone creature yanked the screwdriver out of his shoulder and tossed it aside.

Before Kenji could recover from the punch, the stone creature grabbed him with a clawed hand and slammed him hard against the wall of the alley.

Earthwyrm released Kenji and let the Esper slide down and slump against the wall without dignity. It looked as though he were unconscious.

Earthwyrm grunted irritatedly, "Now that he's taken care of…"

Without showing any indication of wanting to finish that sentence, Earthwyrm lowered his guard and turned his back on the red-haired Esper.

Kenji took the opportunity presented to him and lept to his feet, surprising Earthwyrm by his sudden movement. As Earthwyrm turned around to look at Kenji in shock, the esper struck the stone beast's cracked shoulder with a heavy punch. A loud noise that almost resembled shattering could be heard as the crack in Earthwyrm's shoulder became a complete split in the being's stone body. With nothing to hold it to his shoulder, Earthwyrm's arm fell to the floor and he let out a loud cry of pain. The arm itself fell the the floor and crumbled into small bits of red stone, completely unlike his previous grey surface. Kenji noted they were very similar to the color of bricks.

Earthwyrm clutched his shoulder with a clawed hand and collapsed to his knees.

Kenji smirked, standing triumphantly over his opponent.

"Go back to standing in a park and letting birds shit on you, you goddamned statue."

Earthwyrm glared up at him and let out a loud, guttural cry that sounded completely feral. The stone creature slammed his stump into the wall and roared again.

Kenji's eyes widened as a blue, glowing array of runes appeared in a circle around the missing limb. The stone creature continued to roar and yanked a brand new arm out of the wall beside him.

Some of the wall's material was missing, leaving behind metal pipes that would've normally been concealed, as if the creature had actually used the stone of the wall to reform his arm.

Kenji took a few steps backwards, before once again beckoning the green-haired girl to run as he began to sprint away from the furious stone creature.

The creature quickly gave chase, surprisingly fast for a being made out of stone, Kenji noted. Kenji weaved in and out of alleyways with seemingly no destination in mind, dodging attacks from Earthwyrm, who had managed to burrow into walls and cut them off more than once.

"Where are you taking us now!?" the green-haired girl asked.

Kenji looked back long enough to flash her a grin and continued running without another word.

He had a plan.

The two emerged from one of the alleyways and what appeared to be a construction site. The building itself was planned to be rather large, but as it was now it was little more than an open foundation and semi-completed walls.

Kenji rushed into the structure quickly, the green-haired girl reluctantly trailing behind.

Kenji looked down on the ground and picked up a lead pipe, swinging it a few times like a baseball bat.

"A weapon!?" the girl asked indignantly, "You let him chase us all the way here so you could grab a weapon!?"

Before Kenji could answer her question, Heavy footsteps could be heard.

It was Earthwyrm.

"You goddamned Esper! Quit hiding so I can eviscerate you!"

Kenji gulped as sweat rolled down the back of his neck.

He had a plan, but it was based more off of an assumption than an actual understanding of his opponent's abilities. If his plan failed, he wasn't likely to win against his opponent.

Kenji's fist was red and covered with blood and ripped skin.

He couldn't even hit his opponent without hurting himself. He doubted he'd be able to do enough damage to him to outright defeat him. Instead, Kenji was aiming to outsmart his opponent. That had been his aim from the beginning.

The shadow of the stone creature appeared in the unfinished doorway, and Kenji's grip tightened on the lead pipe.

This was it.

"HAAAA!"

Kenji jumped out swiftly from the wall and swung the lead pipe as hard as he could, hitting the stone creature's abdomen and cracking it's surface severely. The lead pipe had already been heavy, but the force that had struck Earthwyrm was not just from swinging a normal lead pipe. Kenji had, in fact, used his ability on it again.

Kenji adjusted his grip on the pipe and thrust the end forwards, driving it further into Earthwyrm's stomach like a staff. Earthwyrm roared in pain and reached out to Kenji, slashing at his arm with his clawed hands.

Kenji felt sharp pain and the warm wetness of blood seeping through the right arm of his school uniform. Cursing under his breath and fighting through the pain, Kenji once again swung the lead pipe at Earthwyrm's cracked torso. This time it gave, and Earthwyrm's roar turned into little more than a high-pitched screech as he fell to the floor, bisected completely.

Earthwyrm roared and writhed in pain until his body began to sink into the ground. He was going to use the walls around him to regenerate his broken body again.

Earthwyrm's upper torso emerged from the wall and he roared once more, the same spell he had used to regrow his arm activating again as he pulled his restored body from the wall and roared angrily.

But then, without Kenji so much as lifting a finger, Earthwyrm's legs gave out and began to crumble. He fell to the floor and looked down at his breaking legs in surprise.

"So," Kenji asked, grinning, "Have you figured out how my ability works yet? Because I've figured out yours!"

All he got in response was a glare and incoherent screams as the stone creature tried to pull himself to his feet.

"You can't just regenerate from scratch," Kenji pointed out, "When you repair your body, you draw from the materials surrounding you, including bricks and concrete."

Kenji motioned to the walls around him, "Like them? They're made using a new high tech process. A low-density concrete mixture, strengthened with nanotube meshes. It's designed to be lightweight and stronger than normal concrete."

Kenji leaned forwards and smiled, "Oh, but you can't draw out the meshes, can you? If it isn't stone, you leave it behind, that's why those pipes were left in the wall you used to repair your arm. Without the meshes, this concrete is so brittle it'd collapse under its own weight! And I've lured you here where you're completely surrounded by it! It doesn't matter how many times you repair yourself, the second you try to stand, your lower body will crumble to bits!"

Earthwyrm gazed at him, wide-eyed, and growled ferociously, digging his claws into the ground and scraping his body along the ground to get at Kenji.

Kenji shook his head at the pathetic display.

"It's over."

Kenji turned to the green-haired girl and nodded, and silently the two left the construction site, leaving the stone being named Earthwyrm to roar angrily into the empty night.

* * *

 **Part 2**

Kenji emerged from his bathroom- hair damp and fully clothed- and made his way into his dorm's kitchenette. He was acutely aware of a certain green-haired guest frowning at him from the main room.

Her name was Miyako Mizuki.

After the fight with Earthwyrm, she had introduced herself as such, and confirmed that she was actually a vampire. That fact, as one would imagine after all he had gone through, didn't exactly strike Kenji as surprising.

Immediately following that, Kenji had asked the green-haired vampire if she had a place to stay. In hindsight, it really didn't need to be asked. The simple fact that she was something like a vampire should've tipped Kenji off that she probably wasn't an official resident of Academy City. Not to mention that when he had found her, she had been wrapped in a grey cloak that looked entirely foreign.

Kenji did what any reasonable person would do when confronted with such a predicament and offered his abode up for the night. After a short argument and being accused of being a pervert with ulterior motives, Kenji had wound up sneaking her back into his dorm following the long put-off trip to the convenience store.

The store clerk probably would've mentioned something about curfew if Kenji's bleeding shoulder wasn't a more obviously glaring sign of trouble.

"I can't believe you got involved in all this!"

Perhaps her anger would seem more genuine to him if she wasn't sitting on his couch munching on a bag of chips, hair wet from her own shower and clad in one of his old t-shirts.

"I mean, just look at your hands! And your shoulder!"

Kenji's hands had been wrapped up in flexible bandages that could handle moving around a lot without coming undone, while his shoulder had been wrapped in more traditional gauze. Both wounds still kind of stung, but Kenji wasn't too bothered by either of them.

"Yeah, yeah, you've mentioned that before," Kenji waved off Miyako's comments with his hand and swung the fridge door open with the intention of finding something to eat.

Due to the day's circumstances, he hadn't eaten since lunch.

"Seriously, do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into!?" she continued between bites, "I'm not human, you know! I live in a world entirely different from your own!"

With how loud she was being, Kenji was incredibly grateful that he lived in a co-ed dorm. Her voice wouldn't raise any suspicions if anyone who happened to overhear her angry rant.

"Right," Kenji answered absentmindedly, rummaging through the fridge with a bored look on his face.

Angry at being ignored, Miyako made her way over where he was standing and slammed the refrigerator door shut with her arm, leaning against it and removing his option of continuing to search the fridge for food. She glared at him and frowned.

"You have absolutely no idea what you've gotten yourself into by helping me!"

There the two stood, having a stare-down in Kenji's narrow kitchenette. After a few minutes of silence, Kenji finally spoke, conviction strong in his voice.

"Then tell me."

"E-eh?"

The green-haired vampire had obviously not expected Kenji's response.

"You keep saying things like, 'You have no idea what you're getting into' and 'I don't understand the world you live in', but you haven't tried to explain anything to me at all." Kenji pointed out, "I did what I did because I wasn't about to step back and let that stone bastard hurt you again. I would've done the same for anyone in your position. I don't care if you're a vampire, and I don't care what kind of world you live in. Those things don't matter to me at all! If you're going to keep pointing out how clueless I am about everything, then the least you can do is fill me in a little!"

The room grew eerily silent.

Out the window, a few distant flashes of what looked like lightning flickered, illuminating the dimly lit room with blue light. It was oddly out of place considering the sky had been perfectly clear.

Kenji's guest gazed at him, as if trying to get a feel for the person standing before her. She stared at him for a long while before finally opening her mouth to say something.

In that very moment, the lights in the apartment cut out, the digital clock on the wall stopped working, and the quiet hum of Kenji's refrigerator was silenced.

The power had gone out.

But despite the sudden and quite abrupt nature of the power outage, the vampire standing before him seem unfazed. She gazed at him intently and prepared her words, asking him a single question that caught him completely off guard.

"Are you prepared to follow me into the depths of hell?"

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: Chapter 2 is out! I hope you guys enjoyed the fight scene! As always, new chapters every Monday, at least until the end of Volume 1.**

 **Speaking of, in one of the reviews, someone asked "How long will this fic be and now many Volumes do you plan on doing?" I figured I'd answer questions I get in reviews here, especially since I can't directly reply to guests and most questions are relevant to everyone anyway. I don't know how long I plan on making this fanfiction, but I have the better part of three or four volumes planned out so far, and I plan on going further with the story. I can't really give a good estimate as to how many volumes I'll wind up writing, but as long as I can come up with good plots and you guys are willing to read, I'll probably stay motivated to keep writing. As for how long each "Volume" will span, most will probably wind up at or above 10 chapters each.**

 **As always, there's plenty more to come. Thanks for reading! I'll see you again next week!**


	4. Volume 1 Chapter 3 - Density Shift

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

* * *

 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **Chapter 3**

 **The Beginning**

 _ **Density_Shift.**_

 **Part 1**

Kenji and the vampire named Miyako Mizuki had taken seats across from each other at Kenji's small table in his dorm. The green haired vampire had polished off the rest of her chips, and Kenji himself had grabbed a yakisoba bread from the fridge, the remains of which sat in the crumpled paper wrapper in front of him.

On the wall behind Kenji, the digital clock flashed with bright blue numbers. The power had come back on not too long ago and Kenji had yet to set it.

The girl sitting across from Kenji looked to be around 16 or 17, but Kenji wasn't sure if vampires aged the same way as humans. She had her long green hair tied up in a ponytail and her emerald eyes were narrowed slightly as if she were pondering something or other. Miyako was currently wearing one of Kenji's old t-shirts- long enough on her to act as a makeshift dress- as her own clothing had been ruined when she was attacked.

When Miyako asked Kenji if he would follow her into hell, he had been caught off guard by the implications of such a question. He had spent a bit longer than he had intended just trying to process what she had asked, and even longer to answer her question.

Or, as the case had been, not answer it.

Kenji wasn't about to answer a question with such serious implications on a whim. He explained as much to her truthfully. That seemed to be the answer she was looking for, because she smiled and agreed to explain everything.

That explanation was the reason the two were sitting across from each other in a tense silence. Now that they were finished eating, it was time for Miyako to begin.

"Magic exists," Miyako stated bluntly, "Though I doubt you'll have trouble believing that after fighting an actual golem."

"He was a _golem_!?"

Kenji's surprised exclamation might have seemed to be missing the point of what Miyako meant, but in truth it had been the end of her statement that caught him off-guard the most. Miyako was right, Kenji already inherently understood the powers Earthwyrm had demonstrated were nothing like the Esper abilities he was accustomed to. The fact that magic existed had basically already been demonstrated to him in his earlier fight.

His opponent, however, had been the true mystery. Kenji hadn't really been sure what the stone creature named Earthwyrm could've been. He wasn't by any stretch an expert on fantasy creatures, but he was familiar with some aspects of fantasy and folklore. Simply put, Earthwyrm didn't fit any of his preconceptions of what a golem was supposed to be like.

"Well," Mizuki began, "From what I understand, Earthwyrm has been modified heavily and has been given a certain amount of sentience, but yes, the creature you defeated earlier is classified as a golem."

Kenji nodded. Even though he was unfamiliar with the world of magic, what she had said made a certain amount of sense to the red haired student.

"While he has a some degree of freedom over his actions, Earthwyrm still requires a "master", or a magician who can supply him with magical energy to power him. In this case, Earthwyrm is currently owned by a man named Braden O'Reilly. He's a powerful magician of the Irish Catholic Church, and an infamous vampire hunter."

"The… the church?"

Kenji, being unaware of the world she was teaching him about, would naturally have no idea the relationships churches and sects had with magic.

Miyako, who lived in that world, had spoken the words without realizing why they would confuse the red haired teen across from her.

"A-ah, you wouldn't know, would you?" she asked rhetorically before continuing, "While there are few magicians that exist outside of any religion, most magic groups operate under a religious organization, such as a church. In fact, religion and magic are largely intertwined."

"I see," Kenji nodded, crossing his arms and furrowing his brow while nodding. In truth, it was a bit hard to accept that churches would be involved in the world of the occult, but it wasn't like Miyako had a reason for lying to him about something so trivial, "But… why is the Irish Catholic Church interested in hunting vampires?"

"I think one of their motivations is to prove to the world that vampires exist," Miyako replied.

Kenji looked at Miyako with confusion.

"Huh?"

It wasn't that he was exactly foreign to the idea of vampires being a myth. After all, prior to today, Kenji lived in a world where he could more than readily accept that vampires didn't exist at all. It was more the fact that Miyako was clearly being hunted by people who knew she was a vampire in the first place.

"The Irish Catholic Church, as well as other magic organizations, have encountered vampires before," Miyako elaborated, "But like the science side, there's a certain standard in regards to supporting evidence that must be obtained before vampires are officially accepted as being real. That being said, some magic organizations take certain actions under the assumption that vampires exist. The Irish Catholic Church is one such organization. While I don't think it's their primary objective, a decent-sized portion of their resources are devoted to vampire hunting activities."

"I see," Kenji nodded once more. That made a bit more sense to him, "It's kind of like those cryptozoologists who go out searching for things like Bigfoot, even though such a creature hasn't been proven to exist."

"Something like that, I guess…"

Miyako looked as though she didn't fully understand his analogy, but nodded anyway.

"Also," Miyako continued, "Vampires are said to contain unlimited amounts of magical energy. Certain techniques exist in magic to harness this energy to make weapons or power incredibly potent spells."

"Wait…" Kenji paused, letting the implications of her unsure words sink in, "Vampires are 'said to contain'…? You're a vampire, right? Shouldn't you know if they do?"

Miyako looked down, blushing as if she were embarrassed about something.

"E-erm… well… I kind of… think I do… It's just that… I… I sorta don't have any capacity for magic…" she trailed off at the end, speaking the last few words barely above a whisper.

"So, you're supposed to have an unlimited supply of magical energy, but you can't even use it!?"

"Don't say it like that!" Miyako yelled, "I-it's embarrassing for someone who's supposed to be a fearsome being with immense magical power to be completely unable to cast a single spell! And hey, what's your power anyway!? You said you're a Level 3 Esper, but you fight like a thug!"

The words cut into Kenji like a knife.

"I resent that," Kenji spoke with a hurt tone, "It's not that I don't have a useful ability, it's just not combat-oriented in nature, so I have to get creative."

Miyako looked at him expectantly, and Kenji nodded. It was his turn to explain some things.

"My ability is called Density Shift," he began, "Basically, I can manipulate the density of any object I touch."

Kenji reached over and picked up a small numbered die off the small TV stand behind him and held it up.

"Density is equal to the mass of an object divided by that object's volume. On a fundamental level, I can manipulate the density of an object by changing either variable. In other words…"

Kenji held the die up before him and it grew slightly larger.

"Here, I've reduced the die's density by increasing it's volume while keeping it's mass constant. That's how I made the ground 'disappear' earlier, I increased the volume of a small section of dirt until it was nothing but a bunch of loose particles in the air."

The die reverted to normal, and Kenji let it drop to the table. Instead of falling with the light weight of a plastic die, it dropped like a rock and made a loud clack as it struck the wood surface.

"Here, I've increased it's density by increasing it's mass without changing it's volume. That gets a bit more complicated and uses more complex calculations than changing an object's volume, so I have more limits with how much I can alter mass."

"Ah!" Miyako's eyes it up with realization, "So, when Earthwyrm said your punch wasn't normal, it was because you increased the density of your own arm to make it heavier."

Kenji nodded, grinning confidently and holding up his fist, "In other words, I might look like I'm a normal street brawler, but my techniques are as refined as any other Esper's!"

Miyako snickered lightly at Kenji's triumphant boasts and smiled a bit before her face grew serious once more.

"Actually, about my inability to use magic… I think that's the primary reason the church has taken an interest in me specifically. It's probably because it makes me an easy target compared to most vampires," Miyako replied, changing the subject back to her explanation.

"We've been talking about vampires all this time," Kenji noted, "but you haven't really told me anything about vampires, aside from their relevance in the magic world."

"Well, to be honest," Miyako frowned, looking down at the table, "I'm not really an expert on vampires myself. I don't remember if I was born a vampire, or if I was turned at one point, but whoever raised me didn't teach me much about my species. I basically know simple things, like that I need to drink blood and I have a strong self-healing ability. Your human stories about us aren't really accurate to go by either. I'm fine going outside during the day, I can cross running water, and I'm not weak to garlic. Outside of that, I don't really know much about what I can and can't do, especially considering I can't use magic."

"Well, I don't really know much about magic myself, so I guess it doesn't really matter much," Kenji replied, "though, one thing's bothering me... what's a vampire doing in the middle of Academy City?"

Miyako paused for a moment an closed her eyes.

After a moment of hesitation, she answered, "I'm hiding."

"Hiding?" Kenji echoed in a questioning tone.

"Like I said, the Irish Catholic Church has taken a specific interest in capturing me. I was born in Japan, but they managed to chase me half-way around the world before I came back. I was getting desperate, so I came here as a last resort. The magicians aren't able to enter Academy City, so I thought I would be fine. Although I guess they found a loophole with Earthwyrm."

Kenji wasn't exactly sure what she meant by that last part. They wouldn't be able to follow her into Academy City? Did this mean that the Irish Catholic Church had rules about staying out of Academy City's affairs? Or was it a rule imposed on Academy City that those associated with the church couldn't simply enter and do as they please? And furthermore, did that mean that Academy City was aware of the world of magic?

Kenji shook his head. That wasn't important right now. All he needed to take from her conversation was that magicians, for some reason or another, couldn't simply follow her into Academy City.

"I kind of understand the situation you're in, though I won't pretend I fully understand what all this means quite yet," Kenji replied after nodding, then frowned and crossed his arms, "To think that an organization as big as the Irish Catholic Church would be after you… Anyway, I don't know how useful I'll be, but I guess I can help you out for now."

"Great! I think, for now anyway, it's safer for me to stay in Academy City. For various reasons, it's harder for the church to take actions here than it would be outside… so…" Miyako began, hesitating as if unsure about what she was going to ask next, "Since I don't have a place to stay…"

Kenji looked up at her and motioned for her to continue, though he kind of already had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"Mind if I stay here and freeload off of you shamelessly!?"

Kenji fell over on his back and hit his head on the corner of the small stand his TV rested upon. He clutched his head in pain as he pulled himself upright.

"Geez, can't you be a little more subtle with your intentions!?"

"But," Miyako smiled mischievously, "Since I was honest with you from the start, you'd prefer that more than if I told you I had intentions of finding somewhere else to stay eventually, right?"

"So, either way I don't have a say in the matter!?" Kenji asked incredulously.

"Its fine," Miyako said, "Besides, a teenage boy like you should be jumping at the chance to live with a girl!"

"Hey, didn't you get mad at me earlier because you thought I had those kinds of intentions!?"

As the two argued back and forth, Kenji couldn't help but realize that the person before him now seemed like an entirely different person than the one who had just been talking about all these serious things with him.

The two battled it out for quite some time, but both Miyako and Kenji knew what the final outcome would be.

Kenji glanced at the still-blinking digital clock that hung in his living room as he laid on his white couch, ready to fall asleep after a long evening. He thought briefly about resetting it before falling asleep, but tomorrow was the first day of summer and he was tired enough as it was. The clock could wait.

In the other room, sleeping in his bed, was a certain green-haired girl who looked to be 16 or 17, but was actually a vampire that Kenji knew very little about.

As it stood now, it seemed, Kenji would have to get used to these new sleeping arrangements.

* * *

 **Part 2**

Kenji awoke to the sound of his mobile phone vibrating furiously on the small table in his room.

It was odd enough that someone would be calling Kenji at all, given the circumstances, but to call him so early in the morning was just plain bizarre.

Kenji had a couple of good friends he'd often hang out with, but as far as he knew, both had already left the city for the summer. He doubted either of them would call so soon after leaving just to catch up, and they definitely wouldn't be calling at this hour.

The phone kept ringing as Kenji tried to wrack his brain to figure out who it could be that would want to contact him at-

Kenji stared up at the wall for the time before remembering that he hadn't bothered to set it earlier. He had no idea what time it actually was.

Kenji sighed and gave up the guessing game, simply answering his phone with a tired "Hello?"

"Arakuyo-kun, good morning!" the voice on the other end of the line spoke in a delightfully cheerful tone.

Kenji had heard this voice recently.

More specifically, the voice belonged to a certain silver-haired woman who managed to get her bag stolen yesterday, forcing Kenji to get involved with stopping the thief.

If Kenji wanted to, he could easily say she was responsible in part for him forgetting to pick up groceries on the way home from school, thus forcing him to make a trip out late at night, the trigger event for getting involved with things previously beyond his imagination.

Yes, Kenji decided, it was this sadistic teacher that had been the cause of it all.

"Ka-Kamishiri-sensei!" Kenji yelled in surprise.

"My now," Kamishiri spoke pleasantly, but Kenji, being one of her students, knew that she was mad at him for yelling unnecessarily, "Must you greet me like that every time we talk?"

"S-sorry!" Kenji blurted out a bit too quickly for his liking. Then he shook his head. No, he was forgetting himself here. There was an issue with the situation and Kenji needed an answer.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, why exactly are you calling me?"

Kamishiri hummed, and Kenji could see her smiling face as she spoke the next few lines, "It looks like I'm going to have you for a couple more weeks yet! You're going to have to come in for supplementary classes!"

"EEEEEHHHHHH!?"

"Now now, Arakuyo-kun," Kamishiri replied calmly, "You'll wake up your neighbors shouting like that."

She was right. More to the point, rather than worrying about his neighbors, Kenji was more afraid that he had woken up a certain green-haired girl sleeping in his own bedroom. Letting Kamishiri hear the voice of a female in his dorm would be nothing short of suicidal.

Kenji wasn't religious, but he felt the uncontrollable urge to plead to any deity that would hear him out to let Miyako stay asleep, or at least not storm out of his bedroom yelling at him for waking her up.

He wished he knew her a little more, so at least he could know what to expect. As it was now he stared at the door as though it were an enemy that would strike out at any moment.

"But," Kenji continued warily, surprise and confusion still clear in his voice, "I've maintained good grades! I even scored the third highest out of everyone in my class on the midterms! Why would I be roped into something like supplementary courses for students falling behind!?"

The line went silent for a moment, and with Kamishiri's next words shifted the entire tone of the conversation.

"I'm not going to go into the details right now," Kamishiri told him, "But this isn't something that concerns your grades."

"So then, it's something to do with my Esper ability?" Kenji asked, although in truth he really didn't need to. If the matter didn't relate to his academics, Kenji could think of few other reasons aside from his Esper ability that would require attention from one of his teachers.

Kamishiri made a noise somewhere between an affirmative hum and a sigh, "More or less. I won't go into too many details now, but it means I want to keep closer tabs on you and your ability for now."

Kenji frowned. That really didn't tell him much.

"If I'm going to be stuck in a class I don't need, you could at least give me some specifics," Kenji replied dryly, "Well, I guess I don't have much of a choice either way."

"Don't worry, Arakuyo-kun, you won't need to do the remedial work, but I'll give you something to do while you're here," Kamishiri smiled, as though that were Kenji's primary concern "Oh, by the way, class starts in fifteen minutes, don't be late~!"

That statement, which Kamishiri had held off until the very end, sent Kenji into a rushed panic as he yelled into the phone, "What! Why didn't you call me earlier! Wait, why didn't you just tell me yesterday when I rescued your bag from that delinquent!?"

Without gracing Kenji with a response, the sadistic teacher hung up, leaving Kenji to despair as he rushed to prepare for school.

* * *

 **Part 3**

With a defeated look on his face, Kenji half-rushed and half stumbled into the classroom he thought he wouldn't have to see for over a month.

He took a look around the almost empty classroom and became suddenly conscious of the gazes of a few of the other students upon him.

Even though he wasn't here for the same reasons they were, the very fact that he was here at all made him feel embarrassed.

" _Geez, it's not even like I got bad grades like everyone else here- huh?"_

As his eyes scanned the entire room, he saw a face he never expected to see here in a supplementary course.

A student with light blue hair that had been tied back in a low ponytail sat in a desk one row from the back and right next to one of the windows, hunched over and looking as though he were sleeping. Kenji might've made the mistake of thinking he was, but the student's icy blue eyes darted around the room half-lidded, the only evidence that the student was awake.

Like Kenji and every other male student present in the room (which made of a majority of this particular group of students), the blue-haired student was clad in a white dress shirt and navy blue pants, but unlike Kenji and most other student's here, he completely neglected wearing the mandatory maroon necktie that was part of their uniform altogether.

Despite his somewhat laid-back appearance, that blue haired student was the allegedly the legendary second-year genius of Fubushima Academy.

Kenji had seen his name every time he had checked the bulletin board for exam scores. It was a name that had appeared consistently in the number 1 spot in on every list. Up until recently, he hadn't had a face to give to the name, but at one point or another, he had been told by one of his other friends that the blue-haired kid at the back of their homeroom class was the number one student in the entire second-year student body.

Kurogori Tetsuo.

What was a person who had maintained the highest exam scores since last year doing at supplementary classes?

Had his friend mistaken this rebellious, laid back person for someone else?

Kenji sighed and took his normal seat, which happened to be immediately in front of blue-haired student. Kenji contemplated just asking the student behind him for his name, but the student held an air of aloofness about him. Paradoxically, the blue-haired student was either leagues above even Kenji in intelligence or a delinquent existing in a completely different world than the studious red-haired student. Whichever one turned out to be true, Kenji couldn't see any sort of conversation between the two working out at all.

Ultimately, he didn't have to make the decision. Kamishiri decided to walk in at that moment, cutting off all other idle chatter and taking away Kenji's opportunity to start up any sort of conversation with the person who might be Kurogori Tetsuo.

The silver haired woman always had a sharp look about her, and today was no exception. She was currently clad in a white blouse and a dark blue dress skirt, a pair of brown dress shoes on her feet and a pair of black pantyhose accenting her legs. Her silver hair was brushed neatly back, though a single strand still managed to fall over her shoulder and flow down the front of her not-so-small chest.

She had the kind of figure that would make you think at least three or four of her students would be pining for her, and indeed some of her students with more masochistic tendencies probably fantasized about her in such a way. Yet to Kenji, she was nothing but a sadistic teacher who could smile pleasantly while you begged for her mercy.

"My," she began, looking around the room, "There's less of you here than I expected."

Kenji wondered if that meant that some of the students who should have been there were outright missing, or if that meant Kamishiri expected more students would need remedial classes in the first place.

Kenji glanced around the room. Either way, she was right. There was only four students, barring him, present in the room. The student who might be Kurogori Tetsuo, a girl with brown hair and pigtails, a somewhat androgynous figure wearing a male student's uniform seated at the back, and a guy with an eyebrow piercing and a shaved head who looked like the very definition of a delinquent.

Kamishiri also took the opportunity to scan her eyes over the room and crossed her arms when they fell upon the blue-haired student behind Kenji.

"Kurogori-kun," she spoke cheerily despite the fact that she was mad, "Are you sleeping, per chance?"

" _Well, guess that confirms it, he's the legendary genius of Fubushima... Maybe he's here for the same reasons I am, then."_

Kenji turned around to look at the blue-haired student. He was in the same exact pose as he had been when Kenji first walked in, but this time he had his eyes closed and his back was rising and falling rhythmically. As he had not responded to Kamishiri's question, Kenji could only guess that he was, in fact, sleeping.

Kamishiri tossed a piece of chalk at the sleeping student and the white projectile thwacked him so hard in the face that it broke in half in impact. Kurogori flinched as he roused and glance down at the piece of chalk on his desk. He slowly slid his eyes up to meet Kamishiri's, and let out a bored yawn.

Kamishiri smiled at him, "How nice of you to join us, Kurogori-kun!"

Kurogori didn't respond, instead opting to glance idly out the window with half-lidded eyes as he rested his hand on his head.

Kamishiri may or may not have been bothered by the gesture, but if the latter were true, she showed no indication of it. Instead, she returned her attention to the class as a whole and began.

"I know most of you here would very much prefer not to be here at the moment. I understand that," Kamishiri began, "Some of you may genuinely want to learn, but are struggling with the material. This class should be seen as an opportunity for you to catch up."

She looked at the somewhat androgynous figure and the pigtailed girl before continuing, giving Kenji some sort of idea as to how they wound up here.

"Some of you show no indication of wanting to learn at all, content with bad grades and a bleak future."

She cast her gaze upon the delinquent-stereotype, who was far more interested in looking at his desk's surface than meeting her gaze at the moment.

"And some of you," she began. Kenji thought he might've been imagining it, but he could've sworn that her tone turned harsh for a second. It sounded as though frustration that not even she could mask had risen up and escaped without her wanting it to, "are so incredibly gifted, yet choose to throw all of that away for reasons I can't quite understand!"

That did it. Kamishiri had raised her voice at the very end. There was no doubt about it. The usually calm and collected Kamishiri had actually lashed out directly at a student. Losing her pleasant tone, even slightly, was enough to grab the attention of everyone else in the room, and they all followed her gaze to the person who frustrated her to this extreme extent.

Kurogori Tetsuo.

Kenji realized that Kurogori Tetsuo was the only one Kamishiri could've been talking about. Not only had she indirectly noted every other student's reason for being here, but he had been the same student to ace every exam since he was a first-year. How he wound up here in the first place Kenji didn't know, but one thing was clear.

He must seem like the very representation of wasted potential in Kamishiri's eyes.

Kurogori turned his head to meet her gaze, then the gaze of everyone else in the classroom one by one. His face showed no emotion as he did so, slowly making his way across the room with half-lidded eyes and a small frown- not one that expressed distaste, but one that seemed like it was merely his default expression.

After he had done so, he turned back to looking at Kamishiri and offered a slight shrug as his only response.

Kamishiri took a deep breath, possibly meant to contain her anger, and picked up where she had left off.

"Kenji is an exception," she stated firmly, "He's here for non-academic reasons. While he will be present here, he will not be working on the same supplementary assignments as the rest of you, and is not expected to listen to my remedial lectures."

Kenji wasn't sure whether to be grateful that his presence here was clarified, or embarrassed that he was called out directly. Kenji figured it was better than them thinking he had gotten bad grades himself, but he couldn't help but feel self-conscious that she had singled him out.

Kamishiri turned to the board and began by writing "Personal Reality" on the board. Kenji, being a Level 3 Esper, had heard this lecture more than enough for his tastes, and Kamishiri had stated that he was not expected to listen to her lectures in the first place.

Kenji spent the next five or so minutes trying to guess from the androgynous student's mannerisms whether or not they were a girl or a boy. By the time the short lecture was over and Kamishiri gave them all an assignment, Kenji had given up. After she had gotten the other students started, she made her way directly over to his desk.

"Kenji-kun," she smiled, "would you step outside with me for a few minutes?"

Kenji nodded, trying to avert his gaze from the other students entirely as he stood up and nodded, prepared to follow his teacher out of the room. As he left, he noticed the blank gaze of Kurogori Tetsuo. Unlike his previous, half-lidded expression, Kurogori's eyes were fully open and attentive, as if he were studying Kenji and trying to figure out why he were there in the first place.

As Kenji left the classroom, Kamishiri closed the door behind her and turned towards him with a somewhat serious expression.

"Now, Kenji-kun, as to why you're here…"

The seriousness of her tone caught Kenji's attention and he immediately snapped his head to look at her directly.

"As you may already know, Fubushima employs a PASS, that is, a Passive AIM Scanning System, to monitor our student's AIM diffusion fields and record data on a daily basis."

Kenji nodded. There were metal detector-like devices at the front entrance of the school near the shoe lockers that he passed through every day. These scanners were the primary part of the PASS.

"Well," Kamishiri began, taking a deep breath before continuing, "Something is wrong with your AIM diffusion field, and we have no idea what's causing it."

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: Here you guys go, Chapter 3! There's a lot of exposition in this one, but they're things that needed to be explained.**

 **I got a review requesting that I explain Kenji's powers. Well, I did in this chapter, but I was already planning on doing that to begin with (in fact, I had written a majority of this chapter well before I even got said review). As a general rule, I won't leave you guys in the dark about important points like that for too long, though if I do there's probably a pretty good reason for it. I didn't want to explain Kenji's powers in the fight because I felt that kind of exposition would feel out of place and I knew that Kenji would need to explain his powers to Miyako anyway, so I waited until now to have them discuss things.**

 **Anyway, thank you guys for reading, and remember, new chapters come out every Monday! I hope you guys enjoyed, and as always, I'll be back with another one next week!**


	5. Volume 1 Chapter 4 - Still Hunted

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

* * *

 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **Chapter 4**

 **The Witch at the Banquet**

 _ **Still_Hunted.**_

 **Part 1**

The date was July 20th.

It was the very first day of summer vacation in Academy City.

Students all over the city were out enjoying themselves, either spending the day with friends or sleeping in and enjoying the day at home.

Of course, there were some students who were unfortunate enough to get roped into taking supplementary courses due to their poor grades. These students were spending the day at school like vacation had never ended.

The red-haired high school student named Arakuyo Kenji fell into neither group.

It was true that Kenji was stuck at one of the aforementioned supplementary classes, but he was not here as a result of his grades. His teacher had specifically requested that he come in, and the reason behind it was still echoing through Kenji's mind as he waited for Kamishiri to continue speaking.

" _Something is wrong with your AIM dispersion field, and we have no idea what's causing it."_

AIM, or An Involuntary Movement, is the phenomenon in which an Esper's body produces and emits an invisible field of energy around it. The resulting energy field, referred to as an AIM dispersion field or sometimes just AIM field, is one of the integral parts of an Esper's identity. The AIM dispersion field is both closely connected to- and a direct result of- an Esper's Personal Reality, and as such is measured to get a good reading on an Esper's full abilities.

If Fubushima Academy's PASS picked up anything unusual with Kenji's AIM dispersion field, it could be an indication that something was happening to Kenji's Personal Reality that could later directly affect Kenji's ability itself.

As if that wasn't enough to worry Kenji, the serious tone of Kamishiri and the tense atmosphere they had found themselves in only made him more conscious that something was wrong. The two were standing across from each other in the otherwise vacant hallway outside of Kamishiri's classroom. Despite the students sitting in the classroom on the other side of the wall, the entire hallway was filled with a still silence.

It felt as though hours had passed, but the somewhat casual way Kamishiri slipped back into conversation told Kenji they couldn't have been standing silently for more than a few minutes.

"To be more specific," Kamishiri picked up, "You AIM field is behaving in a way it otherwise shouldn't."

"What do you mean?" Kenji asked. He bit back a witty remark that she hadn't been more specific at all with that statement.

"Over the past few months, your AIM dispersion field has been fluctuating in a sporadic and unpredictable manner." Kamishiri explained, "In other words, it's been increasing and decreasing in intensity seemingly at random. While this in and of itself wouldn't be considered normal, the main concern isn't the pattern of fluctuation, it's the degree to which it's been fluctuating."

Kamishiri produced a packet of papers that had been neatly stapled together and handed it to Kenji. The packet was already flipped and folded over to a page with a small graph on it. There was a relatively straight, horizontal dotted line running along the graph that was labeled "expected measurement" and a solid line that zigzagged all over the graph, dipping well below and climbing well above the blue line. This line was marked "actual measurement".

"That chart was printed out by the PASS. It represents the expected and actual measurements of your AIM dispersion field over the past four weeks. The discrepancy would be concerning enough, but the chaotic nature of your AIM field's behavior is far more problematic."

Kenji frowned, "And you said you don't know what's causing this?"

Kamishiri lowered her head and frowned before answering, "No, not for you, at least. See, this pattern isn't unheard of. In fact, it's very common among new Espers. It's the same kind of pattern we'd expect from a Esper who's just starting to develop their ability. Naturally, since you already have an Esper ability, I'm automatically ruling that out as a possible explanation for your AIM field's strange behavior. Unfortunately, aside from that, we don't really know of anything else that would cause these fluctuations."

Kenji nodded without saying anything to show that he understood.

"In other words," Kamishiri continued, frowning, "We've never seen this kind of pattern in a fully developed Esper before. As it stands now, I'm going to have to ask you to keep coming in until further notice so we can monitor you more closely. Eventually, I'm hoping to get an old friend at the Power Development Lab to take a closer look at you and perform some tests, but for now you'll have to sit in on these supplementary lessons. I'll make sure you have your own work to do instead of the remedial work I'll be giving to the other students, so bear with it, okay?"

"If it's something like that, I guess there's no helping it." Kenji nodded in reply, his casual tone masking underlying worry.

Kamishiri smiled and nodded before turning around to head back into the classroom. As she reached for the door, however, she stopped abruptly and turned her head to look at Kenji once more.

"Oh, and one more thing..."

Kamishiri spoke in a grim tone that highlighted the importance of what she was about to say.

"Arakuyo-kun, your AIM field and your Esper ability are both irreconcilably connected. These fluctuations… they may have a negative effect on your ability to use Density Shift. If something were to happen to your Esper ability while under supervision, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but if something were to happen outside of school, you could wind up losing control of your ability and putting yourself and those around you in danger. For your own safety, I'm going to have to ask you to refrain from using your Esper ability outside of school from now on, at least until we can figure out what's causing these fluctuations. Do you understand?"

At her last words, she she shot such a fierce glare at the red-haired high school student that he couldn't help but answer her immediately.

"Y-yes! I understand!" Kenji blurted out as his he straightened his posture abruptly. He might has well have given her a salute with how stiff he was standing.

"Good," Kamishiri replied, turning back around to head back into the classroom once more.

The door to the classroom slid smoothly on its tracks and clacked loudly as came to a stop, fully open. At first, Kenji figured it had been Kamishiri who had opened the door, but when he heard her gasp in surprise, he looked up and noticed a certain blue-haired high school student standing in front of her. He figured it must've been Kurogori who had opened the door instead.

"Kurogori-kun," Kamishiri placed her hands on her hips and frowned, "Just where do you think you're going?"

With a bored look on his face, Kurogori raised up a packet of paper and presented it to his teacher. It was the work they had been assigned prior to Kamishiri calling Kenji out to the hallway.

"I'm finished," he said simply, "I was going to the bathroom."

Kamishiri narrowed her eyes, "Finished? Really?"

Kenji looked at Kurogori with similar disbelief. The packet Kamishiri had assigned the other students wasn't insanely long, but it was a good three or four pages of complex physics and math problems. Even if it was remedial work, Kenji couldn't see it taking any less than twenty minutes to finish.

Kamishiri inspected the work carefully and sighed in resignation.

"They're all correct, and all the work's there…" she admitted, nodding her head.

Kurogori took her affirmation as permission to leave the classroom, so he pushed past Kamishiri and Kenji and continued on his way. As he passed by, he brushed up against Kenji's injured shoulder, causing the red-haired high school student to flinch in pain.

His reaction caught the attention of both Kamishiri, who arched an eyebrow curiously at him, and Kurogori, who turned back to look at him as he continued walking with a blank expression.

"Fluctuations in your AIM field… curious…"

Kenji couldn't believe what he had heard.

If Kurogori knew that, it meant he must've been eavesdropping from early on in the conversation.

But he had presented to Kamishiri a finished packet.

If he was able leave his desk to eavesdrop on most of their conversation, how quickly would he have had to finish his work?

And even assuming he had done some of it while standing against the wall, how much concentration would he have to have to do both at the same time?

More importantly than that, Kenji had felt something odd when Kurogori brush past him.

He could've just been imagining it, but when Kurogori bumped into him, Kenji could've sworn his shoulder felt inhumanly cold.

* * *

 **Part 2**

The green-haired vampire named Miyako Mizuki awoke in a bed she didn't immediately recognize.

She was lying on her back, staring up at the ceiling with eyes still foggy with sleep. She was covered with a thin white sheet that left one of her legs mostly uncovered and flowed halfway off the bed and her green hair was fanned out against the bed beneath her head and shoulders in unkempt strands.

She pulled herself upright into a sitting position and looked around the room. From her perspective, the bed was pushed back against the left wall next to her and the wall behind her. Next to the bed, along the back wall, was a small nightstand with nothing but a digital clock placed on top of it. At the foot of the foot of the bed, pushed against the left wall, sat a small wooden desk where a stack of textbooks and what looked to be a laptop made their home. On the other side of the room, along the right wall, was a sliding white door that Mizuki could only assume was the closet. On the adjacent wall sat a door that looked to lead out of the room and a small shelf lined with countless manga and collectible figurines.

As the grogginess of sleep lifted from Mizuki's mind, she remembered where she was.

"This is… Arakuyo-san's room…"

The green-haired vampire stood up with a yawn and stretched, noting her current state of undress. Since the only clothes she had entered Academy City with had been torn apart and stained with her blood, she was currently wearing a loose-fitting white t-shirt that was long enough to cover herself and keep her decent.

She was fine wearing it around the dorm, even with Arakuyo around, so Mizuki made her way over to the door and left Arakuyo's bedroom. As she opened the door, she immediately raised her hands to shield her eyes from the bright light filtering in through the window.

After her eyes adjusted, they fell immediately upon the white sofa where she figured the dorm's owner would be sleeping. Upon finding the sofa unoccupied, Miyako scanned her eyes across the whole dorm in search of the red-haired high school student. The dorm was small enough that she could see most of it from where she stood, and Arakuyo was nowhere to be seen.

As she decided whether to feel disappointed at this development or not, something caught Mizuki's eye and she made her way over to the table in the center of the dorm room. She bent over and quickly snatched up a piece of paper that had been left upon it. As she suspected, it was a note from Arakuyo.

She had no idea what Arakuyo's normal handwriting looked like, but the letter appeared particularly scrawled out as though the red-haired student had been in a hurry when he wrote it. Some parts were entirely illegible, even for a vampire like Mizuki who possessed heightened vision. After she was done reading over it, she let out a sigh and collapsed onto the couch behind her.

"So, he's gone to school…"

It wasn't like she had directly talked to him about it, but Mizuki had intended to take Arakuyo out with her to buy her new clothes.

Discounting the shirt she was currently wearing, which she was technically borrowing from Arakuyo, the green-haired vampire named Miyako Mizuki had a few tattered rags and a pair of lacy black panties to her name.

She had intended to do something about her lacking wardrobe today, but with Kenji gone, that plan more or less fell apart entirely.

"Hmph! How am I supposed to mooch off of him if he goes and leaves me all alone!"

As Miyuki's mood shifted quickly from disappointment to irritation, she stood up and crossed her arms. Stomping her way over to Kenji's fridge, the green-haired vampire swung it open with gusto, grinning maniacally.

"Well, if you're going to go and leave me, then it's just a surefire way to guarantee I'll raid your fridge! Vampires don't even need to eat as much as humans, so I'm really just doing this to spite you!"

She picked a couple of onigiri and some sort of premade meal and turned her attention towards the beverages with greedy eyes.

"Hehehe, I wonder which one is Arakuyo-san's favorite! He might find that there's none left… W-wait... What the hell are these!?"

In utter confusion, Mizuki picked up two cans tentatively and eyed the labels in utter disbelief.

"It's written in plain Japanese… I'm not imagining it either… so… what's going on…."

In her left hand, the green-haired vampire held a blue can claiming to be filled with "Two-tone Melon Cola". In her right hand, she clutched a dark red can of "Fire Soul Habanero Cider".

"What kind of weird drinks does Arakuyo-san like!?" Mizuki asked, looking back towards the fridge before shaking her head.

"Nonono, more importantly, he didn't buy these at a special grocery store or order them online, they were readily available in a normal convenience store! Does that mean most people drink stuff like this!?"

Staring down a number of unrecognizable, bizarre beverages and unsure of how to proceed, Mizuki chose the melon cola in her left hand and warmed up the prepackaged meal she had chosen for breakfast. Even though she had called it raiding the fridge, in the end she hadn't picked out much more than what a normal person would eat.

In fact, if she stopped to think about it, Arakuyo had probably anticipated that she would eat some of his food in the first place.

Still, it didn't seem like either fact was enough to derail Mizuki's illusion of spiting the red-haired student by eating his food.

"Aaaaahhhhhhh~ Vengeance is tasty!"

Mizuki leaned her back against the front of the white sofa as she sat in front of the table with a content look on her face. She had polished off her meal and even finished the mysterious

"Two-toned Melon Cola", which had tasted surprisingly normal given she had no idea what a two-toned melon was.

Now that she had enacted her revenge on Arakuyo for leaving her all alone, she turned to the original reason why she wanted him here in the first place. She needed new clothes, but she didn't have the money to buy them.

" _Even if I just wanted to go for a walk or something, I'd have to borrow Arakuyo-san's clothes. I'd be fine if it was to buy clothes, but I'm not too keen on walking around like some sort of tomboy… I could probably find something to do here, but I don't want to invade Arakuyo-san's privacy, which pretty much rules out anything in his room…"_

The vampire glanced around the main room and sighed. The only thing here that could provide her any entertainment at all was the television.

"Well, it doesn't sound like fun, but I'm pretty much all out of options. Okay, watching TV it is…"

Resigned to her fate, the green-haired vampire brought herself to her feet and picked up the trash she had made eating breakfast and brought it to the kitchenette to throw it out.

After cleaning up, she made her way over to the TV and snatched up the remote before moving to the white sofa and plopping herself onto it. Before she could even think to turn the TV on, however, she felt something jab her in the side as she sank into the white cushions. The vampire immediately sprang to her feet and ran her eyes back and forth along the couch in search of the offending object.

It was hard to see because it blended in with the white of the sofa, but there was the corner of a small plastic card sandwiched between two of the cushions. She plucked it from its unusual resting place and was about to toss it on the table without another thought when something caught her eye.

At first glance, it looked like any other student identification card. The name and emblem of a school, "Fubushima Academy", was printed across the top. Arakuyo's face and name, as well as height, date of birth, blood type, and Esper level were also recorded clearly on the card.

This wasn't what had caught Mizuki's eye.

The back of the card looked very much like a cash card, with a black strip running across its length and lots of fine print and Arakuyo's signature. Reading the fine print confirmed her suspicions- the card she held in her hand effectively doubled as a cash card as well.

"Lucky~! Looks like I'm gonna be able to buy clothes after all~!"

With a renewed sense of determination, Mizuki placed the card on the table and headed for Arakuyo's bedroom. After all, if she were going to go out to buy clothes, she'd need to be wearing something better than just a t-shirt.

"Hmmm, let's see…"

After rummaging through Arakuyo's closet for something that wouldn't make her look too mannish, the green-haired vampire settled on a pair of khaki shorts, a loose grey t-shirt, and a black cap with a red 4 on its front that she had chosen to complete the tomboyish ensemble.

After choosing her outfit, she made her way over to the bathroom to freshen up. She splashed her face with cold water and grinned into the mirror mischievously before turning her attention to her hair. After working out the knots that had formed while she slept, she tied her green locks up in a ponytail and placed the black cap over her head.

With a grin, Mizuki made her way over to the table where she had left Arakuyo's ID card and snatched it up greedily. With a skip in her step, she walked towards the door cheerfully and slipped on a pair of shoes that were a little too big for her.

As she grabbed the doorknob, she turned back to the empty dorm with a glint in her eyes. Flashing the air behind her a peace sign, she called out in a sing-song voice.

"Sorry, Arakuyo-san, but I'm going shopping~!"

* * *

 **Part 3**

Kenji stood at the entrance of his school and sighed as he turned his back towards the building. While he was sitting in on the supplementary class all he could think about was going home, but now that he was out a feeling of apprehension washed across him.

The red-haired high school student looked down at his hand and frowned as he passed through the gates of Fubushima Academy and turned down the road in the direction of his dorm.

" _So, I'm not allowed to use my Density Shift outside of school, huh?"_

Kenji let out a heavy breath as a sense of powerlessness washed over him.

He still had his ability. There was nothing stopping him from using it at any time.

Yet somehow that fact only made him feel more powerless given the situation.

Kamishiri had made one thing clear to him- whatever it was that was causing his AIM field to

fluctuate was a new phenomenon they had never seen before. That meant that they had no true way of knowing if or when Kenji's Esper ability would even be affected.

It could take a day for Kenji's ability to show any side effects, or it could take a week. It was even possible that Kenji's ability might not be negatively affected by this at all.

Yet equally possible was the worst-case scenario. The next time Kenji used his ability, something dangerous would happen.

It was that uncertainty that made using Density Shift at all dangerous.

If it had been at any other point, Kenji could've accepted that he would just have to refrain from using Density Shift outside of school altogether. Kenji wasn't one of the Espers who outright abused his ability. He didn't use it to make things he was carrying lighter or anything mundane like that. Any other time, he could've easily accepted going weeks or even months without using his Density Shift.

A certain green-haired vampire changed all of that in the course of a single night.

Kenji wasn't sure when protecting the vampire had become a priority, but the feeling of powerlessness he was feeling was likely the direct result of his new inability to protect her with his ability.

The Irish Catholic Church had their eyes set on capturing Miyako. Even if there was some restriction preventing them from entering Academy City, Kenji couldn't rely on that giving him much time at all before they came after her again.

" _If this were some kind of manga, we'd wind up getting attacked as soon as possible just because I can't use my ability."_

Kenji gritted his teeth in irritation and resisted the urge to punch the nearby wall with his already injured hand.

"DAMNIT!"

Kenji took a deep breath and cleared his mind. Even if he had real concerns, worrying about them needlessly wouldn't solve his problems.

" _I should just try to relax a little. I have the walk home to myself, I should take that time to calm down and think things through."_

"Arakuyo-san!" a voice called from behind the red-haired high school student, "Let's walk home together~!"

At those words, one would immediately picture some smiling girl wearing a school uniform, waving her hands and running towards Kenji happily. Of course, when Kenji turned around, he was met with a very different image.

It truly was as if fate itself was laughing at Kenji's expense.

The green-haired vampire known as Miyako Mizuki was standing behind Kenji, having snuck up on him suddenly without him noticing. She had a hand on one of her hips and her other was brought up to her face and flashing Kenji a peace sign as she tilted her head to wink at him.

Miyako was dressed in a casual outfit fitting for summer. She wore an open-cut black t-shirt that was cut short enough to show off her midriff and a pair of khaki shorts that showed off a considerable amount of the vampire's long legs. The black shirt had a white skull-with-wings decal across its chest and a black belt with silver star-shaped buckle held up her shorts. To finish the summer ensemble, on her feet she wore a pair of bright orange sandals that looked like they were made for the beach.

Miyako noticed Kenji giving her a once over and twirled around once, showing off a 360-degree view briefly before smiling, "Well, what do you think?"

Kenji wasn't the kind of flustered guy who would be embarrassed at the thought of calling a girl's outfit cute, but he had one problem with the outfit.

Namely, he had no idea where she got it.

The vampire hadn't brought anything at all to his dorm, and Kenji didn't make a habit of keeping girl's clothes in his dorm for no reason. Not to mention the outfit looked brand new and Kenji had never seen it before.

"Wh-where… where did you get those clothes?"

Miyako smiled and tossed something small at him that glinted in the sunlight. Unprepared for the throw, Kenji caught it clumsily and looked down at it in shock.

Realization flooded over Kenji and the red-haired high school student couldn't help but yell out in shock.

"Y-you... YOU STOLE MY FREAKING CASH CARD!"

* * *

 **Part 4**

In the end, Kenji let Miyako off light in spite of her blatant thievery.

To be fair, he hadn't really been that mad at her in the first place. Sure, he was mad that she had stolen his cash card and spent his money without his permission, but it wasn't like she spent the money on frivolous things. Kenji could easily question if 30,000 yen's worth of clothes was really necessary or not, but all things considered he'd have had to buy her clothes sooner or later anyway. All Miyako had done was save him the trouble of following her around as she forced him to buy her the clothes she wanted. The way he saw it, he had been spared an irritating experience that would no doubt culminate in the loss of his pride as he was forced to buy her underwear.

Still, how she had roped him into eating out for dinner instead of eating a quiet meal at his dorm was entirely beyond him.

"Where are you taking us, again?" Kenji asked the green-haired girl as she bounded down the sidewalk. He almost wanted to point out how new she was to the shopping district, but the last time he had done that he had insisted vehemently that she knew where she was going.

"Kasen's, I think the place was called," the vampire smiled, "There was this truly fantastic smell coming from the restaurant! I was tempted to get something right then and there, but I promised myself I was only going to use your card to buy clothes, so I forced myself to hold back!"

Miyako stopped in her tracks and grinned widely as her eyes fell upon an antiquated brick building.

"Aha, here we are!"

The building was a small, one-story family restaurant sandwiched between two larger multi-story complexes down one of the main streets of the shopping district. The restaurant looked entirely out of place amongst the modern buildings of Academy City. Instead of some sort of light open sign in the window of the restaurant, a small laminated piece of paper hung from a suction cup stuck to the inside of the restaurant's glass door. There was a single window on the front looking into the restaurant, through which Kenji could see old tables and chairs bordering on antique.

The only lit sign that alerted pedestrians to the restaurant's existence was the bright sign running across the front of the building that read "Kasen's Family Diner".

Kenji shot Miyako a questioning gaze, but immediately noticed the frown plastered across the green-haired vampire's face.

"Hmm… that smell… it's not here anymore."

Kenji let out a long sigh and planted his face in one of his hands.

"Let's go in anyway," Kenji offered, "We came here anyway, might as well try it out."

"Sure," Miyako replied quietly, not even trying to mask her disappointment. She turned around and made a face of confusion before shaking her head and returning the smile to her lips.

Even if it wasn't the smell Miyako had mentioned earlier, once they stepped foot in the restaurant, the welcoming scent of stir fried food and traditional Japanese cooking mixed with dishes from other places wafted around the eatery and Kenji realized just how hungry he had been.

The two made their way over to one of the booths in the corner and looked around. There were a few other customers here and there, but the place was worryingly empty for a restaurant around dinnertime.

In relatively short order, a waitress with black hair and a gentle appearance came up to them and presented them with menus to look over while she took their orders for drinks.

Miyako seemed oddly relieved when she found the drink menu didn't contain such items as "YAM drink" and "Rainbow Tomato Juice", which earned her raised eyebrows from both Kenji and the waitress. Before long, the two had placed their orders for drinks and the waitress left to get them, giving them time to order their meals.

"Should I get the Tonkatsu, or the Sukiyaki?"

Kenji looked up at Miyako as she furrowed her brow in thought.

"Oh, or should I check out the international selection and order something exotic? Italian sounds good to me, too…"

Kenji shrugged, "Maybe you should get the-"

Before Kenji could finish his sentence, the door to the restaurant swung open and slammed against the back wall with a loud thud. Kenji and Miyako, as well as the other customers in the diner, turned their attention to the door expectantly.

However, instead of a person standing at the door, there was an orb of bright blue light hovering about a meter and a half off the ground. The orb of light floated into the restaurant slowly and stopped once it reached the middle of the room.

The orb flickered and Miyako's eyes widened in realization.

"Arakuyo-san, get down!" Miyako yelled.

Kenji nodded and the two dove to the floor just as the orb of blue light exploded, releasing a blinding light. Kenji couldn't see what was going on, but the sound of splintering wood and shattering glass filled the room as the other customers screamed in shock.

Soon, the light died down enough for Kenji to see what was happening. The blue orb was releasing large needles of light in all directions, growing steadily smaller as it did so. The needles were being fired indiscriminately, but it looked as though the orb was not firing needles downward, meaning he and Miyako were safe. Whether they had taken Miyako's warning as well or simply reacted on instinct, the other customers also ducked down, leaving them largely unscathed as well.

Kenji brought himself to his feet and turned to help Miyako up.

"My, my" a voice Kenji didn't recognize called from outside the restaurant. Kenji could hear the steps of high heeled boots as they grew ever so closer to the entrance of the restaurant.

As the woman who spoke them stepped into the restaurant, Kenji had to blink twice to fully comprehend what he was seeing.

The blonde-haired woman at the door of the restaurant was clad in what could only be described as a stereotypical witch's outfit. The woman wore a black women's waistcoat over a white blouse with puffy sleeves and a flowing black skirt with a petticoat underneath. She had on black high-heel boots that came up to her knees over black and white striped stockings, and her arms were covered with black, shoulder-length fingerless gloves. Her golden eyes were accented with purple eyeshadow and upon her lips she wore lipstick of a matching color.

To top off the whole ensemble, she had a black, floppy witch hat with a large purple bow tied around its brim, and she was carrying a large staff made from twisted wood.

As if her first attack hadn't been enough evidence in an of itself, her appearance told Kenji he was dealing with an opponent who knew nothing of the concept of subtlety.

"So, you're the vampire's new guard dog, then?" the woman sneered, "I almost can't believe it. A washed-up delinquent like you taking out Earthwyrm?"

Kenji positioned himself defensively between the witch at the door and Miyako, glaring at his opponent with fierce eyes.

"You shouldn't go around insulting people you're about to fight, you know" Kenji replied smugly, "After all, it would be pretty embarrassing for you if you lost to me after calling me washed-up, right?"

The woman scoffed at the thought and raised her staff in the air, summoning three blue orbs similar to the one from earlier around herself. The other customers, who had been watching the scene curiously thus far, panicked and rushed back into the kitchen where there was likely some sort of emergency exit.

"Alright, Esper! Show me the power that was able to wipe out Earthwyrm! I'll grind you to dust."

At the witch's taunt, Kenji dropped into a fighting stance and continued to stand between the blonde-haired witch and the green-haired vampire behind him.

In spite of his cocky words from earlier, Kenji felt none of that confidence now. Instead, the feeling of powerlessness welled up inside of him again as he stared down this new foe.

Kenji still had his power. He could use it at any time. Yet doing so was a gamble that could endanger himself if he lost.

Kenji thought back on the question Miyako had asked him the night before.

" _Are you prepared to follow me into the depths of hell?"_

Was he prepared to throw away everything to protect her?

Was he willing to put his life in danger to keep her safe?

Was he willing to risk everything to win this fight?

Even as Kenji prepared to fight, he couldn't truthfully answer that question.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: Hey guys, here's another one! This one's pretty lighthearted, but as you probably guessed, the next chapter's going to be more intense.**

 **Now, normally I'd sit here and maybe say something about the story or answer any questions posed to me in reviews, but this week there's an issue I wanted to bring to your attention. Now, if you're not an author on this site, or otherwise if you don't post thing regularly, you probably haven't noticed this, but Fanfiction's story traffic stats aren't updating at all. They've been frozen for about a week, and aren't recording views or visitors to any stories at all. I'm assuming fanfiction have already recognized the issue and are taking steps to fix it, but they haven't given us any updates in regards to the issue. I hope things will be working again shortly, but I can't be sure when the story stats will be back up.**

 **What does this mean for you guys? Well, if you're authors on the site it means fanfiction kinda sucks right now, but for you readers who just want to keep up with my story, it doesn't mean anything _yet_. Even working under the assumption that views to my story during the period of time the story stats have been down are going to be lost forever, I still plan on sticking to my current chapter-per-week schedule. Should the problem continue for an extended period of time, I may consider finding an alternative site where I can host my story and actually see working traffic information, but hopefully fanfiction will get its shit together and fix the problem well before then. **

**In the meantime, if you like the story, leave me a review. It'll show me that people are still actually reading while fanfiction's story stats can't show me themselves, and I'll get to hear what you guys have to say about the story so far.**

 **Anyway, you probably don't want to hear me ramble on about the broken stats forever, so I'll wrap this up here. Once again, new chapters will come out every Monday, so I'll be back with another one next week!**


	6. Volume 1 Chapter 5 - Skill or Skill Out

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

* * *

 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **Chapter 5**

 **The Decision**

 _ **Skill_or_Skill_OUT.**_

 **Part 1**

"Miyako!"

Kenji called out to the green-haired vampire's name as the blonde-haired witch launched her first attack in their direction. Light needles like the ones from before shot out from one of the three orbs she had summoned and fanned out towards them quickly.

The three orbs were each about the size of a soccer ball, and hovered at around chest height. They encircled the blonde-haired woman and were bound together by something like a ring of magical symbols. The woman held the one directly in front of her as the others hovered in place behind her and off to either side. Looking from the top, each orb was spaced equally

from each other on the circle of runes.

Kenji dodged lithely behind a table that had toppled over during the witch's first attack and immediately turned his head back to Miyako. The green-haired vampire had dodged as well, though she had lunged out of the way in the opposite direction.

Kenji had hoped to get some time to communicate with Miyako before the fight, but now that they were separated, he couldn't say anything that their nearby opponent wouldn't hear.

"Pay attention to the fight, Esper!"

Kenji whirled his head around and found the woman looking over the table at him menacingly. He jumped backwards quickly, barely dodging another barrage of light spikes.

"You're cute, worrying about the vampire," the woman replied with a smirk before her expression soured and she let out a sigh, "but you can't fight properly if you're not focused. You're nothing but a sad puppy like this."

The woman flicked her staff at Miyako and a small ring of light appeared around the green-haired girl's neck like a choker. The vampire reflexively panicked and tried to grasp the ring of light with her hands.

"Miyako!" Kenji called out.

"Huh… nothing's happening!?" Miyako realized after the initial shock subsided.

"Now, watch," the witch ordered, turning her back on Kenji and pointing the orb she held in front of her directly at the vampire.

Before Miyako or Kenji could react, light needles shot forth from the orb directly out at Miyako. The vampire raised her arms in front of her defensively, but instead of the needles hitting her they hit some sort of invisible barrier and dissolved away harmlessly.

The blonde-haired woman closed her eyes, "Earthwyrm's all work and no play, so no doubt you had to protect her and fight him at the same time. I'm not like that at all, you see."

As the woman spoke, she motioned to the seemingly protected vampire.

"It's true that my priority is to capture the vampire, but you've made me curious, guard dog," The woman grinned, "Anyone who can reduce that rock brain to a pile of rubble intrigues me. I want to see you fight with your full abilities. That ring is a barrier that blocks my own magic attacks. I'd have to dispel it to attack her at all. With that, you won't have to worry about her and you can focus on ME!"

At her last word, the witch waved her hand and all three orbs rotated clockwise until the one behind the blonde-haired mage to her left was now positioned in front of her, and the one that was previously in front of her was behind her and to her right.

She held both of her arms out in front of her and a focused beam shot out towards Kenji. The red-haired Esper barely had time to dodge before the beam shot past him and hit the back wall and burning a black mark into its surface.

As Kenji dodged, he cast a worried glance towards Miyako, who was poking the ring around her neck curiously. She looked up and met his eyes before nodding in a reassuring fashion.

Kenji didn't trust the blonde-haired witch, but he trusted Miyako. If she said she'd be fine, he'd put his faith in her and focus on the fight.

His hesitation gave the witch time to switch orbs back to the first one she was using and fire a volley of light needles at him. He once again tried to dive behind a table to dodge, but a few of the light needles grazed his arm and he winced in pain. Taking cover and assessing the damage- superficial wounds that looked worse than they really were- he looked over and frowned.

" _She's relentless! Forget about using my ability or not. She's keeping me at a distance. Even if I tried to use my ability, I'd have trouble closing the distance to get a hit in."_

Kenji didn't have much time. The blonde-haired witch wouldn't let him hide behind the table forever. It wouldn't be long before she got impatient and got into a position to shoot over the table. Kenji needed a plan.

" _What's bothering me is that third orb. So far, she's used a single attack from each orb, and it seems like she needs to switch between orbs to use that orb's attack… I know what the first two orbs are, but what about the third one?"_

Kenji looked around quickly and something metallic caught his eye. He looked over at his feet. There were two lighters sitting near the table where some of the other customers were eating.

Kenji grabbed them both and popped up from underneath the table with a grin on his face.

He clutched one of the lighters in his hand tightly and threw it at the witch with all the force he could. The witch seemed startled by the flying object, but she sidestepped it smoothly before it could reach her.

As the lighter landed harmlessly next to Miyako, the blonde-haired woman turned her head to see what Kenji had thrown. Using the opening that gave him, the red-haired Esper picked up the entire table he had hidden behind and used it as a shield as he charged the blonde-haired witch.

The witch, wanting to keep her distance, backstepped quickly and shot another volley of light needles at Kenji. Like before her needles were stopped by the table, making shallow holes in the wooden surface like darts on a dart board and dissipating as soon as they stopped. When that failed to stop the red-haired Esper's advance, the witch switched back to the second orb and fired a beam at the table, burning it in half.

Kenji adjusted the grip on the table once more and held it up in front of him as he kept pushing forwards. It no longer protected him fully, but it was still large enough that it would minimize the damage of another barrage of light needles.

However, instead of switching back to the first orb, the witch waved her hand and the third orb slid into place in front of her.

Seeing this, Kenji's eyes gleamed victoriously and he tossed the table at her, stepping back. He had been close enough when he threw it that dodging it was no longer an option. The woman would have to use her third ability on it.

The woman held up her arms defensively and a blinding flash of light emerged from the orb and hit the table. The table stayed intact for a few moments, but soon fell apart in midair, having been cleanly cut into three separate segments.

The woman, realizing that Kenji had closed a considerable about of distance, motioned to switch orbs again.

Kenji watched for the moment the orbs begin to change and charged at her as soon as no orb was directly in front of her. He moved in, his arms once again raised in front of him like a boxer ready to weave his way on for a strong blow. The woman was caught off-guard by his opportune attack and just narrowly dodged his first strike. His second punch hit firm, striking her in the side before she could change directions from her first dodge.

The woman grunted slightly, but Kenji's punch didn't do as much damage as he had expected. The red-haired Esper was used to making his fists heavier with Density Shift, so it had been a while since he had thrown a normal punch. Moreover, Kenji had gone on a full offensive just to get a single hit in, with his one arm still extended in a punch and his other arm not in any position to defend himself. He had expected his punch to stun his opponent, so he was completely open for a counter attack.

The woman grinned and grabbed her staff in both hands, jabbing the end into Kenji's torso sharply like a spear. The red-haired Esper doubled over and coughed, resisting the urge to throw up. Before he could recover, the blonde-haired witch adjusted her grip on the staff and swung it almost like a baseball bat, slamming the length of it hard into Kenji's side.

"Now we're talking! It's been a damn while since anyone's gotten up close and personal!"

Now that Kenji was wide open, the woman attacked him relentlessly. She hit Kenji with the staff once again, sending the wounded high school student stumbling backwards into an overturned chair. She then fired a volley of light needles at the felled Esper, who was barely able to roll out of the way. She waited patiently for him to pull himself to his feet before delivering another spear-like jab to his gut. Kenji coughed up a mixture of saliva and bile and stumbled further backwards until he hit the rear wall of the restaurant.

"Hahahaha! You're the pathetic piece of shit who reduced Earthwyrm to a pile of rocks on the ground!? That walking museum piece will never live it down once I tell him I crushed you thoroughly without breaking a sweat!"

The blonde-haired witch switched orbs again and fired the beam attack at Kenji. The red-haired Esper tried to dodge to the side, but she had accounted for his movement and the searing stream of light struck his already injured shoulder. Kenji yelled as he grasped his shoulder in pain and stumbled through the door leading back to the kitchen.

"Arakuyo-san!" Miyako called out. The green-haired vampire headed towards the door Kenji just stumbled through, but she was met with resistance when she tried to move past a certain point. A wall of light erupted from around her and her hands made ripples in the surface like a pond when she pushed against it.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that?" the blonde-haired witch smiled deviously as she turned to Miyako, "That ring keeps you within the barrier I set up. I've had you captured from the beginning."

Miyako gritted her teeth angrily before turning and casting a concerned glance towards the door where Kenji had disappeared.

In the kitchen, the red-haired Esper was lying on the ground, trying to recover from his injuries. He pulled himself to his feet slowly with his good arm and rotated his twice-injured shoulder to test its range of motion, wincing in pain. He looked down at his shoulder and noticed that his sleeve had been so torn up that it was practically dangling from a few threads. Annoyed, Kenji tore it off and crossed his arms.

" _Damn,"_ Kenji cursed mentally, swallowing loudly, " _I don't think I can win without using my ability. She's really good at keeping her opponents at a distance… I won't be able to fight her up close for too long, so if I can't finish her off in a few quick hits I'm going to lose for sure."_

Kenji frowned and looked down at his hands.

" _No, I need a plan. If I can't simply overpower my opponent, I have to outsmart them. Quick thinking and sheer luck have gotten me out of sticky situations that my ability alone couldn't handle… I just need to come up with something!"_

Kenji doubted the blonde-haired witch would wait too long for Kenji to emerge from the kitchen. She would either come in after him to finish him off, or figure he was thoroughly beaten and turn to capture Miyako.

Not too keen on the prospect of the former and not willing to risk the latter, Kenji took a step towards the door. He would have to think of a plan during the fight.

As Kenji brought his foot forward, he lightly kicked something lying on the ground by accident. The red-haired high school student glanced down and noticed that a few bottles had been tossed to the floor, either when he had stumbled into the kitchen or from earlier when everyone had evacuated the restaurant.

Out of curiosity, he bent down and retrieved a plastic bottle from the floor. Reading the label as he picked it up, Kenji noticed it was a half-empty bottle of vegetable oil used for cooking. The red-haired Esper motioned to place the bottle back on the counter, but paused halfway through and looked down at the bottle in thought.

Kenji was formulating a plan.

On the other side of the kitchen door, the blonde-haired woman in the witch's outfit was growing restless. She crossed her arms and walked closer to the door with gritted teeth.

"I know that wasn't enough to finish you off, guard dog! Just what are you doing back there? Taking a piss or something!?"

Without replying, the door swung open and a handful of knives flew out of the kitchen without warning. The blonde-haired witch, jumped back in surprise as some of the knives flew past her a little too close for comfort.

She looked up and scowled as Kenji came into view as he stepped out of the kitchen.

"I hope you didn't think that was clever, you damned Esper!"

Kenji smirked as he stepped into the room. His injured arm was pressed firmly against his torso and the previous fight gave him a ruffled look. He didn't look anything like a confident fighter about to turn the tides of battle.

"There it is… that animosity towards Espers that both you and Earthwyrm share," Kenji replied smugly, "You followed Miyako-san into a world surrounded by Espers. It must piss you off, right?"

"Shut up, that doesn't matter!"

The blonde-haired witch lashed out with an animosity she hadn't yet demonstrated and fired a large barrage of light needles directly at Kenji. It was a furious attack, but it was too offensive, and Kenji was able to dodge it effortlessly.

" _She's mad, so she's getting sloppy. Her attacks weren't really coordinated to begin with, but like this, closing the distance will be easier."_

Kenji began circling around the blonde-haired mage to get in her attack's blind spot. The witch noticed what the red-haired Esper was trying to do and aimed a few more volleys of needle spikes at him. Kenji was able to dodge the first one easily enough, but the second one had been strategically aimed so that he wouldn't be able to dodge both at the same time.

Kenji dove behind a still-standing chair and winced as some of the needles flew past the gaps

and stabbed him. One stabbed him in his already injured shoulder, a few more hit his left leg, and one nicked him in the side. Kenji clenched his teeth at the pain and bit back a curse as he pulled himself to his feet.

Not waiting for his opponent to attack again, Kenji lunged forwards and to the right, once again trying to circle around the woman. The blonde-haired witch scowled at him and fired more light needles at him before switching to her second orb and trying to hit him with another beam.

She had caught Kenji in a position where he could not effectively dodge both at the same time. Kenji launched himself forwards and pulled something from behind his back quickly, holding it up in front of his face before he was struck with both attacks.

Some of the needles hit Kenji in his legs again, but the brunt of the needle barrage and the beam struck the object Kenji had held up. A flat, metallic baking sheet. The needles pinged against it and dispersed harmlessly while the focused beam hit its surface and deflected off.

"Heh, didn't actually think something simple like a baking sheet would work against your laser attack…"

Kenji smirked for a few moments before the pain in his legs made him waver and collapse onto one knee.

"Kenji!" Miyako called out from next to him. In his attempts to make it behind the blonde-haired witch he had made it a full 180 degrees around her, though she had turned to keep him in front of her at all times. He was now between the witch and the front entrance of the restaurant, with Miyako behind him to his right and the kitchen he had come from directly behind the witch.

"What's the matter, guard dog?" the witch taunted, "Can't stand anymore? Give it up. You're as good as dead. You can't even run with your tail between your legs with those injuries."

Kenji gritted his teeth and pulled himself to his feet.

"Bite me," Kenji mocked, "I only walk away from opponents who don't deserve to be punched in the gut."

Kenji turned to Miyako and looked at her with conviction burning in his eyes.

"I can't imagine how it must feel to be hunted every day of my life. I'm not going to pretend I understand Miyako-san at all yet, but I know that she was desperate enough to sneak into the heart of Academy City just to escape you. What kind of cruel asshole would you have to be to chase someone to the ends of the earth so tenaciously? If your determination to capture her brought you to Academy City, filled with the Espers you despise, then I'll just have to burn that determination away with my own."

Miyako gave Kenji a sincere smile and nodded her head slightly. The red-haired Esper smirked briefly at her before his expression darkened. He turned back to look at the blonde-haired witch with a glare that made his opponent step back reflexively.

Kenji continued his circle to get behind her, running even faster this time despite his leg injuries and simultaneously closing the gap between himself and the witch.

The witch fired a few volleys of light needles at Kenji to drive him back, but instead of dodging backwards, Kenji charged forwards directly towards her with the metal sheet acting as a makeshift shield. By itself, the metal was not large enough to protect Kenji from one of her light needle attacks entirely because of the way the attack fanned out. Instead, Kenji used a different property of her attack to defend himself with it.

Because all of the needles were coming from a single source, and because the baking sheet was larger than the orb they were originating from, there would be a point where the baking sheet could block 100 percent of the attacks just by holding it between himself and the orb. It was the same principle as putting a sheet of paper in front of a projector. From far away, it wouldn't block much of the light, but from up close it could block out the whole projection.

Even if that point was too far away for Kenji to reach before the attack hit him, he could minimize the damage while still pushing forwards.

The attack reached Kenji and only a few stray spikes made it past his defense. One imbedded itself into Kenji's already injured shoulder, and the other one grazed his cheek, cutting a line under his eye that began to bleed.

Surprised by Kenji's charge, the blonde-haired witch didn't have time to switch orbs to the dangerous light blade that had cleaved the table he threw earlier into three pieces in a single instant. Kenji wasn't sure if the light blade could be blocked by his makeshift shield- or if it could even be blocked at all- but it had been his plan from the start to get close without having to find out.

The witch raised her staff defensively, but Kenji was faster. He reeled his good arm back and brought it forwards as fast as he could, driving it into the woman's abdomen. The blonde-haired woman staggered back and drove her staff into the ground to support herself and regain balance.

Kenji tried to use this opportunity to get in another hit, but the blonde-haired witch was ready for him. She steadied herself quickly and swung her staff at him, driving the end into one of Kenji's legs. Kenji staggered backwards and let go of the baking sheet, letting it fall to the floor with a loud metallic clatter. The woman took the opening that provided and drove the length of her staff across Kenji's stomach, sending him tumbling backwards and collapsing to the ground in a crumpled heap. She switched orbs to her focused beam attack and smirked sadistically as she looked down on the red-haired Esper.

"Your determination was definitely something," the woman acknowledged, "But you're 5 years too young to go challenging someone of my caliber. You did manage to impress me, so I'll give you the respect of telling you my name before I kill you. My name is Tia Greenhart."

Kenji pulled himself up shakily and dragged himself into a kneeling position. From his seat on the ground, he looked up at Tia Greenhart.

Before she could realize what he was up to, Kenji tossed something at her quickly. She reacted almost on instinct and switched to the third orb she had, slicing the object in half before it could reach her. As the two halves of the object fell to either side of her, the woman was splashed with the contents of what she then realized was some sort of bottle.

She looked down at her ruined clothes and her eyes widened before narrowing in rage.

"Vegetable oil!? What kind of desperate last attack was that! I'll turn you to paste on the floor where you cower, damnit!"

Greenhart took a few steps towards Kenji and glared down at him ominously as the red haired teen looked up at her and met her gaze.

However, his eyes were not filled with despair. Instead, Kenji wore an expression of triumph.

"Heh," Kenji laughed, smirking confidently as he wiped a trickle of blood from the side of his mouth.

"W-what!?" Greenhart scowled, "What's so funny!?"

"I'm 5 years too young to challenge you!? What kind of bullshit is that?" Kenji asked, grinning as he looked up, "Besides, can't you tell? The outcome of this battle has already been decided. I'm the one who's going to win."

Kenji held up a small white string running along the ground and tied around Greenhart's waist. The string had come from the torn sleeve of his uniform, and ran all the way back to the kitchen where it was anchored. Kenji took the string in his mouth and cut it with his teeth so he had a loose end.

"W-What!? When did you…."

The witch's eyes widened in realization as she took a step back.

Kenji smirked as he revealed the lighter he had found on the floor earlier. He flicked it a couple of times and finally it produced a flame, which he held under the string. The string caught fire quickly and began burning down the string towards the witch.

"That's right," Kenji nodded, "When I was circling you before, I was really wrapping this string around you. It's soaked in oil, so it'll burn straight to you and ignite your oil-soaked clothes! Once that flame reaches you, it's game over."

Greenhart's shocked expression turned into one of ugly delight, "Haha…. Hahahahaha…. HAHAHAHAHAHA! Idiot! You're such a total idiot!"

Before the flame could even reach her, the blonde-haired witch used the third orb that was already in front of her to cut the string along the ground so the flame wouldn't reach her.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You dumb bastard! You revealed your plan too early! How stupid could you be!?"

Greenhart's maniacal laughter died down and the blonde-haired woman took a few steps forwards.

"I take it back, I'm not impressed at all. You're so stupidly naïve it makes my head hurt. Now sit there like the beaten puppy you are and let me beat the shit out of you!"

Kenji smirked once more and pulled himself to his feet. As he was getting up, the string tied around Tia Greenhart's waist caught fire and began to burn.

"W-what!?" Greenhart exclaimed with wide eyes, "But I cut the string! How… how did you-"

"You didn't really think I'd be stupid enough to give away my trick like that, did you!?"

Kenji smirked, pointing his finger behind Greenhart. The witch whirled around wide eyed and noticed the green-haired vampire behind her, holding up the lighter Kenji had thrown earlier and flashing her a smug grin. A second string, now burned black, ran along the floor of the restaurant to Greenhart's position.

The red-haired student had taken the time from the speech from earlier to point out the second string to Miyako, and he had used the speech to pass on his plans secretly.

"You… you set up the first string to distract me and give the second string time to burn!"

Kenji nodded, "That's right. I'm glad it worked, too. You put up quite a fight. I'm going to have to rest a few days just to recover from these injuries. If the battle had gone on for much longer, I might not have been able to win."

The red-haired high school student pulled himself to his feet.

"Now, as a courtesy to a strong opponent, allow me to tell you my name."

Kenji pointed to himself with his thumb victoriously and smirked.

"I'm Arakuyo Kenji, I'm a Level 3 Esper… and didn't even need my ability to fight against you!"

At this last statement, Miyako shot Kenji a strange look, but before she could say anything, Greenhart's outfit caught fire and the blonde-haired witch dropped to the ground and screamed as she rolled around pathetically.

The ring of light binding Miyako inside the barrier, as well as Greenhart's magic orbs, dissipated as she writhed on the ground.

Miyako reached for her neck and rubbed it a bit before turning towards Kenji.

"Let's get out of here."

Kenji smiled and nodded, "Right."

* * *

 **Part 2**

Kenji and Miyako walked side by side as they slowly made their way back to the red-haired high school student's dorm.

It was close enough to curfew that the streets of the shopping district were empty and painted a pale blue in the dim twilight. Kenji kept looking behind himself as he walked, on guard for a patrolling Anti-Skill officer. In his current state, Kenji was more worried that they'd question him and take him to a hospital rather than scold him and tell him to head home already.

Still, Kenji really didn't feel like dealing with that, so he was wary of running into one at all.

"Why did you hold back?"

Kenji turned to look at the green-haired vampire, who had been silent since they left the restaurant.

Miyako was crossing his arms at him and frowning slightly.

Kenji shot Miyako a confused look as the two walked, and the vampire's brow furrowed in frustration as she explained.

"You said you didn't use your ability against her! Why the hell were you holding back! You got the shit beat out of you!"

"Oh."

Kenji hadn't told Miyako about his AIM field. He hadn't explained that he wasn't supposed to use his powers outside of school to her yet.

She had overheard Kenji bragging about not using his powers to defeat the witch named Tia Greenhart, so to her it seemed like he had been holding back the whole fight.

Kenji sighed. He wanted to mention it to her before something like this happened, but he had gotten so caught up in everything and they had gotten attacked so quickly that he didn't get the chance.

It seemed like he would have to tell her now either way.

"To be honest," Kenji began, pausing to figure out how he was going to explain himself, "Actually, I'm not supposed to use my Esper ability anymore… at least, not outside of school. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier."

Miyako's eyes widened as she gave Kenji a confused look, "Why can't you use your powers? Did something happen?"

Kenji nodded.

"I'm not sure how much you know about Espers, but an Esper's body constantly produces a field of invisible energy through a process called AIM- An Involuntary Movement. The resulting energy field- or AIM field- is directly linked with an Esper's ability as well. My teacher called me in today because lately something strange has been happening to my AIM field, and she warned me that it could also cause problems with my ability itself. If I use my ability unsupervised and something were to happen, I could seriously injure myself."

Miyako frowned, "In other words, you can't use your ability to fight anymore."

Kenji looked over at her and saw a wide array of emotions flickering in her eyes. The most prominent one being disappointment.

He understood the meaning behind her words.

" _You can no longer protect me with your power."_

Kenji gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Miyako-san, I-"

Before he could finish, Miyako's head snapped around to look behind them and her eyes widened. Kenji did the same and the two barely managed to sidestep before a giant beam of energy shot out from behind them and plowed through the air where they had just been standing.

Behind them a good ten meters down the road, standing on the sidewalk with a face contorted with rage stood the blonde-haired form of Tia Greenhart.

The witch had stripped her burning outfit away, leaving her clad in a lacy white lingerie and a pair of lacy white panties. The only part of her outfit that remained was her large black hat, seemingly spared from the flames that ruined her other clothes.

The woman's exposed skin had a few minor burns on it, but it seemed like she had gotten out of her clothes before being seriously injured.

Seemingly unfazed by her state of undress, the witch was standing in a fully offensive stance with her staff in one hand and a small orb of light in the other.

"To think a washed up fool like you would catch me with such a shitty trap! To think that, I, Tia Greenhart would be reduced to stripping down to this state just to pursue you! Here me, Arakuyo Kenji, I will make you suffer before crushing you out of existence!"

Kenji dropped into a fighting stance and raised his arms in front of him defensively.

Suddenly, Miyako stepped in front of him and looked back at the red-haired Esper.

"Run."

Kenji's eyes widened.

"W-what the hell! Miyako, what are you doing!?"

Miyako looked back at him with sad eyes.

"You can't beat her without your ability, and she's after me in the first place. Even if you somehow manage to beat her, there's no way you'd be able to fight O'Reilly or anyone else who comes after me without using your power. So run and forget about me."

Miyako turned her head back towards the witch and looked down, her voice barely a whisper.

"I'm sorry I got you wrapped up in my world… Arakuyo Kenji. "

As Kenji looked at the back of Miyako's head, he could swear he saw something wet fall from her chin and glisten in the dim light as it fell to the ground.

Kenji smiled and placed his hand on Miyako's shoulder before stepping forwards.

"Who the hell ever said I wasn't going to use my Density Shift?"

Miyako's eyes widened and she looked at Kenji in surprise.

"But, you just told me that you-"

Kenji took a step forwards.

"I still have my ability. I can use it whenever I want. Damn the consequences."

Kenji once again positioned himself between Miyako and the furious-looking Tia Greenhart.

"I guess in a way, this is my answer to your question."

Kenji turned around and flashed Miyako not a smirk or a confident grin but a genuine smile, his eyes filled with conviction as he spoke.

"I'll follow you into the depths of hell… and drag you out!"

Kenji's expression darkened as he turned his attention to the undressed Tia Greenhart.

"You should've run off without showing your face again, Greenhart. You could've spared yourself a lot of pain."

The witch scowled angrily at the red-haired Esper and fired another large beam of energy like the one from before. It was an intimidating attack, but it was limited in spread and Kenji dodged it easily.

"To hell with that, Esper! I'll make you bleed!"

The woman raised her staff and summoned 8 more small orbs in an arch above her head. Each of the orbs flickered and fired energy beams in a large spread towards Kenji. The red-haired Esper had to keep moving, staying in front of the lasers as they hit shops and buildings behind him, burning holes in windows and leaving cracks in concrete.

Kenji ducked behind a telephone pole as the last laser traced a path over his head and dissipated. Now that Greenhart's attack had subsided, the red-haired Esper was able to charge forwards at the blonde-haired witch to close the distance a little.

"GO TO HELL!"

The witch held up the staff again and a two orbs of light very similar to the first one that she used to attack the restaurant appeared in front of her. She thrust her hand forward and the two orbs flew out with incredible speed at Kenji.

The red-haired Esper dodged to the right as one skirted past him and stopped abruptly. Kenji turned around and the ball flickered like the first one had. The second ball came rushing at him and stopped less than half a meter from his position, flickering as well. Kenji's eyes went wide and both orbs exploded into light needles like the one at the restaurant had.

Kenji raised his arms defensively, but he was caught in the middle of the blast. The flashes of light that accompanied the light orb's explosions engulfed him entirely, and Greenhart smirked.

"Eat shit, Esper!"

Miyako looked on with wide eyes and called out as she reached towards him, too far away to do anything.

"Arakuyo-san!"

As the light died down, the witch waited in anticipation to see Kenji fall to the ground, riddled with holes.

The sight she was met with was very different from what she had expected.

Kenji was standing, his arms raised up defensively, with light needles from the orbs stopping in midair before hitting him, as though hitting some sort of invisible barrier. Greenhart looked at Kenji in shock as she tried to figure out what the Esper was doing. His face was mostly obscured by his hands as he crossed them in front of himself as a guard, but she could see his eyes clearly.

For the briefest of moments, she could swear his eyes were glowing a bright white as he somehow managed to block her attack completely.

Kenji blinked once and his eyes returned to normal, making Greenhart think she had just imagined it. Or maybe his eyes had caught the light of her needles and reflected them at the right angle to make them appear like they were glowing.

Her attack subsided harmlessly and Kenji relaxed, almost shocked to find that he hadn't been hit at all by the barrage of needles. The red-haired Esper's eyes grew wide as he lowered his arms and glanced down at his hands.

" _What the hell was that!?"_

Kenji shook his head and glared at Greenhart again, charging forwards towards her to close the remaining distance. Kenji wasn't a long-ranged fighter, so even though he was no longer refraining from using Density Shift he'd still need to get close to stand a chance at the blonde-haired witch.

Greenhart had other plans. The witch held her staff in front of her and a giant orb of light about a meter across appeared in front of her and began flickering furiously. A circular pattern of runes appeared in the air in front of the orb and magical energy began swirling around it.

Despite the attack's size, Kenji kept pushing forwards, reeling his fist back preparing to use Density Shift to give it extra weight.

"DODGE THIS, ESPER!" Greenhart spat furiously. The entire orb of light flickered and a giant beam of light shot forth from it in front of her. Kenji was directly in the path of the giant laser and would have to dodge either to the left or right to avoid it.

Greenhart glanced behind her and smiled devilishly. She had hidden two orbs of light directly behind her and off to either side, ready to fire out smaller lasers at her command. Whether Kenji dodged left or right, Greenhart would be able to hit him.

"DIE, ARAKUYO KENJI!"

The large laser reached Kenji in less than a second and the red-haired Esper planted his foot on the ground firmly and pushed off, launching himself into the air.

Greenhart's eyes widened.

"W-what!? He jumped!?"

Normally, jumping to avoid the laser wouldn't have been an option. Kenji couldn't clear the distance between himself and Greenhart in a single jump, so he would simply fall back down directly into the path of the laser and get hit by it. Instead of falling, however, Kenji's body stayed floating above the ground longer than it should have, as though he were flying.

Miyako's eyes lit up in realization.

 _"He… he made his whole body lighter to stay in the air longer!"_

Kenji's residual momentum carried him forwards and he closed the gap between himself and Greenhart. Kenji reeled his arm back again and increased its mass with Density Shift. The added weight made him fall to the ground, but was already in front of Greenhart. He had successfully closed the distance.

Greenhart panicked, stopping the laser attack and quickly holding her staff up in front of her defensively.

Kenji brought fist forwards and hit the staff directly, cracking it in half and sending wooden splinters flying as the staff buckled. All of the witch's summoned orbs flickered and faded out as the object she was channeling her spells through was split in half.

Greenhart's eyes widened in shock as Kenji reeled his arm back and grinned.

"I've shown you my Esper ability, so my introduction from earlier doesn't really fit anymore. Allow me to rephrase it."

He raised his left fist and reeled it backwards, taking a step closer to Greenhart as the blonde-haired woman took a step back.

"My name is Arakuyo Kenji…"

Kenji swung his fist forwards and punched Greenhart in the stomach, knocking her back with the impact. Greenhart doubled over and coughed as she staggered backwards.

"I'm a Level 3 Esper…"

Kenji didn't wait for her to recover. He crouched and delivered a strong uppercut to the woman's jaw, making a cruel cracking sound as Greenhart's head whipped backwards and she stumbled.

"… And I'll beat the shit out of any goddamn magician who comes after Miyako-san, got it!?"

Greenhart fell to the ground motionlessly, sprawled out in an exposed manner due to her lack of clothes. Her magical staff sat in two pieces on either side of her, and the street around her still showed signs of battle. Still, she had been utterly and completely defeated.

Kenji turned around and met back up with Miyako, smiling as he approached her.

"Let's go back to the dorm."

The green-haired vampire smiled back and nodded, falling into step next to Kenji as he passed her. Now that the battle was over, a quiet atmosphere settled about the still city and calmed the two down as they walked.

As the two walked away from the defeated witch, Miyako looked over at the red-haired high school student and couldn't help but smile. Kenji noticed the vampire's gaze on her and looked over at her quizzically, prompting Miyako to giggle and smile at him with her eyes closed.

She let out something between a hum and a content sigh and spoke in a soft voice so far removed from what Kenji was used to from the green-haired girl.

"Thank you, Arakuyo-san."

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: Hey guys! Here's the next chapter! Some pretty sweet action in this one, if I do say so myself.**

 **Last week I mentioned how the story traffic stats feature was down for the count. Well, luckily the problem was resolved not too long after that, and it seems is going to be making significant upgrades to the infrastructure of the site in the next few weeks. I never really doubted the problem was going to be resolved, but the amount of time the traffic stats remained down was frustrating and I still think a more expedient response would have been more convenient for all of us authors.  
**

 **Anyway, you don't want to hear me sit here and complain about a problem that's already resolved.**

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed this week's chapter. Leave a review and tell me what you think, and as always, I'll be back with another one next week.**


	7. Volume 1 Chapter 6 - Limit Field

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

* * *

 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Subject to Experimentation**

 _ **Limit_FIELD.**_

 **Part 1**

"Ow! Miyako-san!?"

"Sit still and relax, will you!"

"Hey, that's my-"

"I said settle down, I can't do it properly if you move around too much!"

"What are you trying to do!?"

"Tch… this is in the way…"

"Ah! Miyako-san!? Why are you unbuttoning my shirt all of a sudden!?"

The red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji was seated on the white sofa in his dorm, struggling against the green-haired vampire as she leaned over him and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his dress shirt.

Without warning, she pulled the edge of his collar back and sunk her fangs into his neck before the unsuspecting Esper could say or do anything.

The first time Miyako had bitten him, his body felt limp and his senses were dulled as though he had been put in some kind of trance. This time, Kenji could still move and he was all-too-acutely aware of everything from the proximity of him and Miyako to the mild sting of

her fangs burrowing into his veins.

After a few moments, Miyako released Kenji and pulled back with a grin on her face.

Kenji's shock turned to irritation as he frowned at her.

"If you wanted to drink my blood you could've just asked you kno-"

Before Kenji could even finish his statement, his body was overcome by a strange tingling sensation. It felt like white noise from a TV screen was dancing just underneath his skin. He looked down at his body in surprise and noticed that the wounds on his legs that he had not yet wrapped in gauze were scabbing over and healing instantaneously.

It wasn't just his legs, either. The pain in Kenji's shoulder lessened and the raw skin on Kenji's knuckles reformed underneath his bandages. The cut on his cheek itched briefly before the dull pain vanished completely.

Kenji wasn't fully healed, but it would be hard to tell that he just got into a nasty fight.

Miyako smiled, "It's the least I can do."

Kenji looked up at the vampire quizzically.

"How did you…?"

Miyako picked up where his question trailed off.

"A vampire's body produces a substance that can heal injuries in seconds. It's part of what gives Vampires such incredible regenerative abilities. Vampiric healing spells do the job better, but even without magic I can heal a human. In my case, I have to have some of your blood still in my body to infuse with that healing substance. Since I drank your blood last night, all I did just now was give some back to you."

Kenji rotated his shoulder in awe, but then winced as he moved it a certain way and pain shot through it.

"It's not perfect," Miyako noted, "I couldn't heal you completely, and I doubt I could heal larger injuries than that anyway."

"That's fine," Kenji smiled, feeling much better with his injuries healed, "Thanks, Miyako-san."

Miyako smiled, "It's the least I could do."

The red-haired high school student nodded in acknowledgement and leaned against the backrest of the white sofa tiredly. Now that his body had fully settled down from his earlier battle, he was overcome with great exhaustion. Not only had he stayed up late the night before thinking he'd be able to sleep in, but for two nights in a row he had been forced into battles he was not expecting.

Kenji still had a lot to do tonight before turning in. He needed a shower and they had been attacked at the restaurant before ordering any food, meaning he would need to eat something as well.

At the moment, however, Kenji didn't feel like doing either. He leaned his head back against the wall behind the couch and closed his eyes.

"Arakuyo-san…"

Kenji opened his eyes and looked up at the vampire before him. Miyako glanced at him with an expression he couldn't quite read. She turned her head to the side and placed a finger on her lip hesitantly before frowning.

"I'm… I'm hungry..."

Miyako turned her attention from the kitchenette in the dorm to Kenji. Her eyes were filled with a look of carnal hunger as she ran her tongue across her lips.

"Some…. Something tells me you don't just mean the fridge…!"

Miyako smiled, leaning in towards Kenji again and placing one knee on the sofa next to his legs as she grabbed his shoulders.

"I gave you some of your blood back to heal you, but now that you're fine…"

Kenji, who was already leaning back against the couch, couldn't retreat any further.

"W-w-wait, Miyako-san…"

"You didn't lose that much blood in the battle either!"

"Ah… those eyes… You're not even listening to me anymore!"

"Thanks for the food, Arakuyo-san!"

Miyako's fangs sunk once more into Kenji's neck and the high school student let out an echoing cry that rang out and drifted into the dark sky above.

* * *

 **Part 2**

Kenji let out a tired yawn as he made his way down the empty halls of Fubushima Academy. Even though he had gone to bed early the night before, exhaustion from two days of fighting was catching up with him. Kenji was grateful that Miyako had been able to heal him, otherwise making it through the day both tired and in pain would nothing short of torture.

As Kenji made it to Kamishiri's classroom, designated room 4-7 by his school's straightforward room numbering system, he let out a heavy sigh. Maybe Kamishiri would go light on him today and he could sneak an hour or two of sleep in while she was lecturing the other students about stuff he already knew.

Sliding the doors open, the red-haired teen trudged into the classroom and made his way to his seat before plopping himself down heavily and resting his head on the desk.

Keeping one eye open and rotating his head to look around the entire room, Kenji noticed that not only was Kamishiri not here yet, but the seat directly behind him that belonged to Kurogori Tetsuo was empty. Aside from Tetsuo, all the students he saw yesterday were present, though many of them looked as tired or uninterested as Kenji felt.

" _I want to say I feel some form of kinship with them… but I didn't land myself here with bad grades… I wonder how many of them are Level 0s who have a hard time understanding the advanced material?"_

Instead of coming up with an answer for this question, Kenji closed his eyes and let the warm light filtering in through the window next to him warm his face.

" _If Kamishiri-sensei was late for supplementary classes, I don't think any of us would mind…"_

Lately, Kenji was not having much luck with his inner thoughts.

Yesterday, he had just been thinking about having time to himself when a certain green-haired vampire appeared before him.

Now that he had mentally wished Kamishiri to be late, the sound of the classroom door sliding open reached his ears and he opened his eyes in time to see the silver-haired woman walk in and move over to the desk off to one side of the room.

Kenji sighed and pulled himself to a sitting position. Yesterday, Kurogori Tetsuo had gotten scolded for sleeping in class. Kenji would not make the same mistake.

Kamishiri's eyes darted immediately over to the red-haired high school student and she flashed him a smile with a look in her eyes that he couldn't quite place. What he couldn't ascertain from her expression his brain tried to fill in, and Kenji panicked.

" _Did she somehow figure out that I used my abilities? Was Tia Greenhart hospitalized and somehow Kamishiri made the connection between how she was injured and my Density Shift!? No... There's no reason to think like that… She couldn't have found out… right!?"_

"Arakuyo-kun."

Kenji's breath hitched in his throat and his whole body tensed up in a single moment. In that moment, all reasoning in Kenji's mind that told him Kamishiri couldn't possibly know about his fight with Greenhart left him.

"Y-yes!?"

The transparent response rang of guilt as Kenji straightened his back and looked up at his teacher with a pale face.

It wasn't that he felt guilty for dismissing his teacher's warning. Rather, he had felt entirely justified using his ability to protect Miyako. It had been unfortunate, but the situation at hand forced Kenji into a position where he had to break that rule. No matter what, he didn't regret that decision.

However, there was absolutely no way he could explain that to Kamishiri.

The silver-haired woman cast a puzzled glance at the nervous high school student, but continued nevertheless.

"I would like to speak with you out in the hall again. Please, follow me."

Without waiting for Kenji to respond, the silver-haired teacher turned and made her way out of the classroom swiftly. Kenji could hear the murmurs of speculation break out amongst the students present in the classroom.

Kenji sighed and stood up quickly, an action that made most of the students turn towards him with curious glances. Without looking at them, the red-haired high school student made his way out the classroom and closed the door behind him with a quiet clack.

Looking up, Kenji was startled to find another woman waiting outside the classroom for him next to Kamishiri.

The woman standing next to his teacher had somewhat messy raven hair that fell just past her chin and maintained the same length all the way around to the back of her head. The woman's dull yellow eyes were underlined by dark circles, a sure sign of many sleepless nights, and her eyebrows raised up and lowered as she studied him intently.

Her outfit consisted of a wrinkled yellow blouse, the top two buttons of which had been left undone, and a slightly less wrinkled black dress skirt. The woman's white labcoat had slid entirely off of her shoulders and were caught by her elbows as she crossed her arms. Normally wearing a coat in such a way might be associated with elegance, but in the case of the woman before him, it just added the lazy and unkempt impression she gave.

Leaning against the wall and slouched over with bad posture, the woman standing next to the always-proper and beautiful Kamishiri gave Kenji the impression of looking at two polar opposites side by side.

Kamishiri motioned to the woman standing next to her and smiled.

"This is Nakare Mitsuho. She's an old friend of mine and the lead researcher of our school's Power Development Lab."

Kenji turned to the raven-haired woman and bowed, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Arakuyo Kenji."

The woman before him, Nakare Mitsuho, made a move to bow, but wound up merely nodding her head instead. Making a face like she didn't really care for the formality of introductions, she gave a weak reply.

"Arakuyo-san, then."

Kamishiri took hold of the conversation before it could die out at that and turned to Kenji once more.

"Yesterday I mentioned I was hoping to get a friend to take a closer look at you. I was talking about Mitsuho here. Today, you'll go with her to the Power Development Lab and she'll run some tests on you."

Nakare nodded silently and looked at Kamishiri without another word. The silver-haired woman smiled and nodded back before continuing.

"I don't know exactly what she has in store for you, but I'm leaving you in her hands."

At that, Kamishiri nodded and turned around, heading back into the classroom and leaving Kenji standing there with Nakare.

"Oh, by the way, I'll be learning a lot from these experiments, so the school's going to pay you for this. It's just like any other experiment related to your Esper abilities, after all."

Kenji nodded silently and Nakare pushed herself off the wall and stretched before heading down the hallway towards the school's Power Development Lab. She didn't say anything at all to Kenji. No "follow me" or "this way" or "let's go", and she didn't even look back to make sure he was following her.

Kenji fell into step behind her as they made their way down the halls of Fubushima Academy. As mentioned previously, Kenji's school had a relatively straightforward layout and numbering system. Kenji's school consisted of two large buildings, one taking a large L-shape when viewed from above and the other one a more clean rectangle, both barely touching at one point to form a U-shape around a smaller building and a courtyard, with sports fields around the outside.

The L-shaped building was the "main" building, making up the entrance and consisting of five stories and a fenced area on the roof where students could go to eat lunch. The entirely of the school's classrooms were housed in this building, and they were numbered according to their floor and their position on that floor. Kamishiri's classroom, room 4-7, was the seventh room on the fourth floor of the main building.

The rectangular building that sat in close proximity to the main building was Fubushima Academy's Power Development Lab. Different schools had different policies on how to handle their student's growth and development as Espers, and the Power Development Lab was this school's answer.

Kenji followed Nakare down to the base floor and out the doors to the short, covered path between the main building and the Power Development Lab.

Nakare reached down and retrieved a plastic ID card from her labcoat's pocket. The end of the ID card was attached to a black lanyard that looked like it was supposed to go around her neck, but it seemed the raven-haired woman disliked wearing it as such.

She placed the ID card over an optical scanner by the door and a red light on the door blinked three times and turned green. Nodding to herself as though she had just accomplished a goal, Nakare opened the door and headed inside, making sure Kenji made it inside before letting it close.

Kenji had seen the school's Power Development Lab before, but this was his first time coming here without other students around. The school used the Power Development Lab for the System Scans, but without the halls filled with excited students and Espers complaining about their results, the building seemed eerily calm.

Nakare lead Kenji down the halls, past labs with locked doors and rooms filled with humming machinery, and stopped in front of the metallic doors of an elevator.

"We'll be heading down, then. I'll tell you what we'll be doing once we get there."

Even though they were on the base floor, the raven-haired woman didn't misspeak when she said "down".

The most impressive feature of Fubushima's Power Development Lab was a large underground facility where practically any Esper could be tested at their full power.

As the elevator descended, Kenji became nervous with anticipation.

The place they were heading down into was referred to as the "Limit Field".

That place, which extended beneath the Power Development Lab, was easily Fubushima Academy's most high-tech and expensive facility. An underground room with thick metal walls and bulletproof glass, the Limit Field would seem like it would fit more at some sort of military test site rather than a facility you'd find at a school. The technology behind the Limit Field went beyond just physical barriers, however. Within the Limit Field, an Esper's ability was unhampered, but energy barriers within the walls and ceiling of the underground facility disrupted Esper's abilities. If an Esper's attack somehow made it through the thick layers of metal, it was unlikely to progress any further.

It was the school's most ambitious project, designed specifically to enhance the mental and physical growth of potent Espers, with the intended goal being to the development of a Level 5. Thus far, that goal had not been reached, but the Limit Field had its other uses. In particular, the school used it to test especially dangerous Espers during the System Scan. Outside of that, though, any information on what the room was used for was mere speculation.

However, if Kenji was being taken down there now…

"Say, Nakare-sensei," Kenji began nervously. For some reason, the simple idea of conversing with the woman standing next to him in the elevator seemed like it would irritate her, "Are we really going to be testing in the Limit Field?"

The dark-haired woman looked at him and nodded, "Yes. It wasn't that hard to get permission to let you use it. Your ability, Density Shift, has the potential to be extremely dangerous if it goes out of control… not to mention…"

Nakare's voice trailed off as she considered something. She furrowed her brow in concentration and a look of distress crossed her face. Before she had picked up, the elevator reached its destination.

"Nevermind, it's just a hypothesis," the raven-haired woman finished dismissively.

Kenji sighed and exited the elevator. Nakare was someone he hadn't quite gotten used to yet.

The room the elevator let out into was a small observation deck overlooking the Limit Field itself. Through the thick, bulletproof glass, Kenji could see the large square room clearly. The room was about 40 meters across and its walls were made from thick metal plates, with a grid-like pattern of metallic squares across the floor and a couple of blast doors on either side.

This was Fubushima Academy's secret training and testing room for Espers, the Limit Field.

Nakare turned towards the console near the window and began furiously typing away at the command. As she was typing, she gave some instructions to Kenji without even turning around.

"There's a suit in that box over there," Nakare pointed to a small box in the corner, "Put it on. It'll monitor your vitals and your AIM field during the experiment. After you're done prepping, stand on that lift. It'll lower you into the testing field."

Without pausing to make sure Kenji understood, the raven-haired woman kept on talking as she typed away on the computer.

"Each individual grid square on the floor of the Limit Field can be raised and lowered to create a large variety of environments for you to battle on. I'm loading a pre-programmed "urban" configuration to simulate a city street. Also, you'll be fighting five of them, so try not to panic too much. They're not loaded with real ammunition, so you'll be fine even if they fire at you."

"W-wait," Kenji asked, "Five… of what?"

Narake pulled up a picture on the monitor behind her and moved to let Kenji see it.

It was an image of one of the drum-shaped security robots that roamed the streets of Academy City.

"They're the older models, so they aren't as brutal as the ones the city currently uses. Oh, and you're not allowed any weapons. You'll have to fight them with your ability alone. Good luck."

Kenji looked down at the Limit Field through the bulletproof glass and sighed.

It was certainly not a good day for Arakuyo Kenji.

* * *

 **Part 3**

Kenji was running down one of the "streets" of the simulated urban environment wearing a strange white suit with wires and electrodes strapped to it. It was vaguely reminiscent of bodysuits used in computer animation to track and actor's body motions.

The red-haired student cursed and dove around the corner of a building, narrowly avoiding a spray of rubber simunition as one of the drum robots opened fire on him. Kenji poked his head around the corner and watched the cylindrical patrol bot move towards him quickly.

" _Come on… a little closer…!"_

Just as the robot was about to turn the corner and attack Kenji, the red-haired Esper jumped out from around the corner and used his Density Shift to increase the mass of his leg.

He aimed for one of the three leg-like supports that the robot used to maneuver in "attack mode", and slammed the bottom of his foot into it roughly. His foot hit the robot's joint and the structural weak point gave, leaving the robot largely unable to maneuver.

Kenji dove around another corner and let the security robot's obnoxious sirens attract the attention of the other robots. If he could take them down one at a time, then…

Kenji felt jabs of pain as rubber bullets struck his back and knocked him forwards. The red-haired Esper whirled around to see not one, but three security robots moving in his general direction.

"S-shit!"

Kenji ran down the street where the disabled security bot lay and ducked around yet another street corner.

" _I can't fight these things at all! I can't get close to them and I can barely damage them even at my full power! What does Nakare-sensei expect of me!?"_

Kenji glanced down the street he had just turned down and cursed again when he noticed the disabled security robot struggle as it pulled itself upright. Despite having a crippled third leg, the security bot was able stand steady enough to begin moving around again.

"Damnit!"

Kenji began running down the street as soon as he saw the crippled security bot join the other three and begin making its way towards him.

Kenji wasn't sure how he was supposed to fight one of these things on fair grounds without a weapon, let alone five.

" _Think Kenji, think! Up until this point, I've been trying to fight these things normally. Just using my ability to make my punches and kicks stronger isn't fully utilizing my power…"_

Kenji looked back in time to see the security bots turn the corner and prepare to fire on him.

The red-haired Esper was not in a position to dodge anymore, so instead he charged forwards towards the robots at full speed. He approached them at an angle to give their guns a moving target, and winced as he felt the rubber simunition graze his arms and strike his legs as he ran.

Kenji approached the crippled security bot from earlier and placed his hand on it. As soon as his hand connected with the drum-shaped robot, the robot became extremely light and Kenji was able to lift it into the air and raise it over his head. On its way down, Kenji allowed the robot's normal mass to return, and then added more mass to it so it hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Kenji turned to one of the other drum robots, but before he could grab a hold of it, it opened fire and Kenji took a step backwards. As he did this, the other two drum robots also aimed at him and all three opened fire at once, hitting Kenji dead on and forcing the red-haired Esper to take cover.

What Kenji had just done might give someone the wrong idea about how his Density Shift works. With his actions, one could draw the conclusion that the limitation of Kenji's Density Shift was "Kenji can only manipulate the densities of things he was touching". This wasn't true. Kenji's ability had a certain range to it, about 10 meters around him, in which he could manipulate the densities of any object he could see.

Instead, the limitation of Kenji's Density Shift was not range, but complexity. Changing the densities of stationary, geometric objects took Kenji a fraction of a second to perform, but changing the density of something like a human body with so many complex shapes and contours was almost impossible to do quickly. Kenji could change the density of his own body so easily simply because it he was used to it and it was so close to him.

In this case, the drum robots were mostly cylindrical, but they were still complex enough to prevent Kenji from acting on them instantaneously. At the same time, they were moving around, and moving in and out of Kenji's 10 meter range. Acting on one from a distance would take at least a few minutes.

This is where Kenji making contact with the object came into play. My touching the object he wanted to manipulate, he could take something of a shortcut in his calculations. Rather than "the mostly cylindrical object moving towards him at a certain speed", Kenji could use, "The mostly cylindrical object in his hand." It greatly simplified the process and expedited Kenji's Density Shift.

Now, however, the red-haired Esper had been forced back and could no longer grab one of the drum robots. Using his ability was still an option, but Kenji would have to focus more on calculations and wouldn't be able to stay as alert to dodge attacks.

"Tch…"

Kenji took another few steps back and dove down another side street.

" _This is bad, even though I managed to take one of them out…"_

Kenji's thoughts were cut off when he heard the sound of a whirling motor behind him. The fifth drum robot was speeding down the street and transforming to stand on all three legs as it made its way towards him.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Kenji moved to dive back out onto the main street to run across it, but then all three of the remaining drum robots turned the corner and began shooting at him.

"A pincer attack!? Hey, outsmarting opponents and luring them into a trap is my technique!"

Yet no matter what he yelled, it wouldn't change the fact that he was cornered.

" _Damn… why does our school have these anyway? I mean, I know they're the older models, but…"_

Kenji paused.

He just remembered something he had learned in his science and technology class.

The older security bots were implemented about four years back and quickly discontinued due to a fatal flaw.

Namely, their batteries.

To power the robots for an extended period of time, numerous power sources were devised to allow continuous use with minimal recharging.

The current security robots Academy City used throughout the city could operate for an extended period of time without needing a recharge, but the selling point of the older models had been an operation period that surpassed all other designs.

With advanced power packs, the older models could continue patrolling the streets for a full 20 hours without needing to be recharged.

Naturally, if they were to encounter an issue and enter their attack mode, they would use up battery power faster, but for normal operation their battery life was enough to get them greenlit for use across Academy City.

However, one incident revealed a fatal flaw in the security robots, and the older models were taken off the streets.

During a shootout with a criminal who had illegally obtained a sniper rifle and holed himself up in an old apartment complex, one of the security robots was struck with a round. The bullet hadn't even pierced through the drum-robot's armor, but the impact was enough to trigger a violent explosion in the security bot's power pack that killed the Anti-Skill officer standing next to it.

The power packs, though able to store incredible amounts of energy, was still in experimental phases when the robots were implemented. The power packs were shown to be incredibly volatile to harsh impacts and caused devastating explosions that could injure residents.

The robots that Kenji was fighting were those same security bots that were discontinued due to that fatal flaw. Kenji's ability wasn't enough to trigger an explosion just by damaging the robots themselves, but maybe…

Kenji charged forwards towards the single security robot behind him and grabbed it's "eye" with his hand. He placed his other hand on the top of the security bot and used his Density shift to turn a small cylinder of the robot's armor into little more than metal shavings floating in the air. Digging his hand around the robot's insides, he felt a searing hot box that contained the robot's power pack and grinned.

He ripped out a small piece of metal between the power pack and the hole in the top of the robot's head, exposing its weak point to a direct strike from the top.

Making it lighter with his ability, Kenji picked up the security bot and threw it at the three other robots, with the hole in the top facing them. Kenji dove for cover and the robots opened fire on the advancing robot projectile, striking the power pack and sealing their fate.

Kenji covered his ears and closed his eyes as a loud explosion engulfed the surrounding area. The explosion was enough to trigger a chain reaction, causing the power packs of the three advancing robots to explode as well.

Kenji poked his head around the corner as the explosion settled down and inspected his work. All four of the remaining security robots had been taken out at once.

Kenji stood there, panting from the fight, and let out a sigh of relief.

As he was finished, he turned towards the bulletproof window and looked up at where Nakare would undoubtedly be watching him from.

"How was that?" he asked. The suit he was wearing was equipped with a built-in headset, so she could hear him despite being separated by heavy duty walls and glass.

"Clever," the scientist's voice came in through the headset in Kenji's suit, "I'm impressed you managed to exploit the robot's weakness without seriously injuring yourself."

Kenji grinned, but then Nakare's voice soured.

"But… it wasn't what I wanted to see. I supposed five security robots isn't enough to push you to your absolute limits. How about… fifty instead. I'm sure that will be enough."

"Fifty!?" Kenji yelled.

He had barely managed to defeat five. The thought of beating fifty of them made Kenji's head spin.

Overcome with vertigo, the red-haired Esper stumbled and leaned against the wall, supporting himself with his hands.

Kenji didn't think that was the idea of fighting fifty security robots.

Suddenly, a sharp, pulsing pain pierced through Kenji's mind and the Esper cried out in agony.

"W-what!? These readings…!"

Nakare's voice rang out through the headset, but Kenji couldn't focus on anything anymore.

His head felt like someone was trying to split it open like a watermelon at the beach.

Kenji clutched his head in pain and took two more steps forwards, trying desperately to focus on what was in front of him.

The world around him began to spin, and Kenji felt himself falling.

He couldn't even catch himself properly, collapsing to the ground with a harsh thud.

As the world around him began to fade, Kenji could hear Nakare's voice calling out to him through the headset.

"Arakuyo-san…!? Arakuyo-san!"

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: So, it's currently Tuesday where I am (in the evening at that), and I'm just now getting around to uploading this.**

 **I could make the excuse that a lot was going on this week, and to be fair, there was. All my professors gave us our first tests of the semester this week, so I've been swamped with a lot of work.**

 **The problem is- that's not why I didn't upload yesterday.**

 **No, I didn't upload this chapter yesterday because I literally forgot to. Now, whether or not I forgot BECAUSE I was swamped with a bunch of tests and work lately is irrelevant. It's my responsibility to you guys to update this story regularly, and I didn't. And for that, I sincerely apologize, and I promise that won't happen again.**

 **Well, you guys had to wait an extra day for it, but I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter anyway! I love hearing from you guys, so feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading, and I'll be definitely be back on schedule next week!**


	8. Volume 1 Chapter 7 - Dust to Stone

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

* * *

 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Awakening**

 _ **Dust_to_STONE.**_

 **Part 1**

In a dark room somewhere in Academy City, a blonde-haired woman pulled herself upright in a sitting position as she rested on an unfamiliar bed.

The room she found herself in was remarkably barren. Aside from the bed the woman herself was occupying, there was a small chair nearby, but it looked stiff and wooden and downright uncomfortable. Instead of functioning as a proper chair, it seemed that the piece of furniture was functioning as a makeshift nightstand as the woman slept. It was pushed right up against the head of the mattress, and a glass of water and other various items one might expect to find on a nightstand had been haphazardly placed on the wooden chair's seat.

Aside from the chair, a simple free-standing coat rack sat in the corner of the room. Its function, as it was not anywhere near the door and the room didn't seem like it had been set up with guests in mind, was apparently as a makeshift clothes rack. A set of clean clothes hung from hangers hooked on its arms, which was probably the best anyone could do given the room did not appear to have an actual closet.

Barring these two objects, there wasn't a single piece of furniture anywhere else in the room.

The blonde-haired woman occupying the bed, who was naked aside from the sheets draped over her, was none other than the witch Tia Greenhart.

As the woman's senses were liberated from the fog that her day-long rest had brought her, she looked around the room slowly and was startled to find she was not alone.

The woman instinctively grabbed fistfuls of the bed sheets and pulled them over her chest, pulling herself as far away from the other presence in the room. After the initial shock died down, the woman seemed to realize who exactly it was and settled down noticeably.

In fact, as she spoke, her voice took a kind of playful tone.

"Didn't know you liked watching others sleep, O'Reilly."

In the darkness of the room, Tia could not make out the features or expression of the figure standing at one of the corners. Yet somehow she got the impression that the man named Brian

O'Reilly had not found amusement in her banter.

The figure shifted in the shadows and spoke with a gruff voice.

"How's your jaw?"

His voice, like his aura, gave the impression that he was entirely serious. Simply put, the atmosphere he created just by talking was taut with a sinister tension.

Greenhart sighed at his no-nonsense attitude, but nevertheless brought a hand to her mouth and moved her lower jaw around a bit.

"Its fine," she reported before casting a curious glance towards the shadow in the corner of the room, "But… you don't know any healing spells. Don't tell me you used-"

Before she could finish, O'Reilly pointed to the chair next to her bed. More specifically, he was pointing to a small, decorative vile filled with clear yellowish liquid that sat on its side.

"Your precious vial of vampire extract has been left untouched. I wouldn't have used it to heal you unless you received a fatal injury."

The shadowy figure retracted his hand and let out something like a sigh of irritation before explaining how she had recovered.

"You were found by someone before I could retrieve you. They took you to one of _their_ hospitals and you were treated there."

Greenhart's eyes widened as she felt her chin tentatively. There was no doubt in her mind that the last blow she had received in her battle the night before had fractured her jawbone. Yet even as she moved her mouth around, she couldn't feel any of the pain that would naturally accompany a broken bone.

Even though she was on the side of magic that had no interest in things like science or technology, she couldn't help but be impressed by whatever medical treatment had healed her jaw so quickly.

"Has medical science progressed to the point of matching the speed of healing magic?"

She had meant to keep these words to herself, but inadvertently, she wound up speaking them aloud instead. The shadowed figure in the corner shifted and made a noise that sounded not unlike the snarl of a dog, but did not say anything further regarding her comment. Instead, he took command of the conversation once again and continued.

"If you've recovered enough, then I shall go and retrieve the vampire myself," O'Reilly stated definitively, as though dealing with the red-haired Esper who protected her was not an obstacle,

"You may rest until then, but once the vampire's here, I'll need to perform the unsealing ritual on _that_ item."

Greenhart's eyes lit up briefly and she nodded in understanding.

"In other words, you need me to defend you while the ritual commences, is that it?"

The shadow that was Brian O'Reilly shifted uncomfortably, as though the mere thought of needing help from others disgusted him.

"It's unfortunate, but the unsealing ritual will leave me bound to a certain area and unable to utilize my most powerful spells. It might seem like I'm putting too much undue faith in the boy's abilities to interfere, but being cautious has saved my life many times when dealing with vampires."

The shadow shifted once again, this time pushing himself against the wall he was leaning against. As he walked slowly across the room, the shadows around him seemed to move with him and obscure his face and features.

Such an unsettling appearance, which not even Greenhart was comfortable seeing, was fitting for a person who had encountered the vicious creatures known as vampires and lived.

More to the point, this was a man who made hunting those creatures his sole purpose.

"If I don't eliminate that boy tonight, we'll have to proceed onwards with caution. My instinct is telling me that the boy known as Arakuyo Kenji is a bigger threat to us than he may seem."

The figure waved his hand in a conjuring motion, and a silver rune appeared in the air near the foot of Greenhart's bed. The witch reacted instinctively and drew her entire body back, bringing her knees up and clutching the sheets closer to her bare chest.

Something like an old tome appeared in the center of the circle and landed with a dusty plop onto the foot of the bed.

Greenhart's eyes lit up, and her face looked like a kid who was just given a candy bar and wanted to ask if it was really okay for them to have it.

"That staff imbued with magic served you well, but even if we were to get a replacement, you wouldn't be able to fight at your true strength, correct?"

O'Reilly wasn't wrong. The witch known as Tia Greenhart was more accustomed to using

grimoires than other magic items.

Even more specifically, the grimoire that had been placed in front of her was an especially powerful spell book that had originally been created by her great grandmother. The grimoire had been passed down to Greenhart, and with it, her heritage as a witch.

Even though the grimoire was hers, the grimoire had at some point wound up in the possession of the Irish Catholic Church. It had been a while since Greenhart had been authorized to use it freely.

The witch grasped the book in one hand and activated a simple "bookmark" spell, making the grimoire spring to life and turn to certain pages on its own accord. It was essential for a battle-oriented grimoire to have spells for fast navigation and hands-free searches.

Content with the grimoire's authenticity and glad to have it back in her hands, the blonde-haired witch let a small smile grace her lips.

"You must be serious if you intend to give me this. It's not restricted, is it?"

Without turning around to acknowledge the blonde-haired witch, the shadow that was O'Reilly reached the door and left the room wordlessly.

Tia Greenhart clutched her grimoire in her hands and sent the door where O'Reilly had just exited a tentative gaze.

"That person… I wonder…"

Her eyes left the door and landed on the necklace on the chair next to her bed, as though it had special significance.

"Perhaps this is my chance after all..."

* * *

 **Part 2**

"Arakuyo-san… he hasn't returned home yet…"

Miyako Mizuki frowned slightly before closing her eyes and dipping her head under the showerhead. She ran her fingers through her green-hair in circular motions, letting the running water wash the remaining suds and shampoo away.

The green-haired vampire sighed as she pulled her head out from underneath the stream of water and looked around.

The bathroom in Arakuyo Kenji's dorm room was unusual.

That wasn't to say that the bathroom in Arakuyo's dorm was somehow unique to all other bathrooms in the dorm building, but rather, the entire building's bathrooms were unusual.

In Japan, the toilet and the bath were usually found in entirely separate rooms altogether. In that sense, the bathrooms in the dorm building could already be considered unusual to most of the students.

However, even beyond that distinct difference, it could be said that foreigners would consider rooms where the toilet and bath were together were normal.

Even then, the bathrooms in Arakuyo's dorm would still be considered unusual to foreigners.

When a foreigner imagines a "bathtub", they often think of a tub in which they are meant to wash themselves. In Japan, however, it's customary to wash yourself off before getting into the tub, and then use the bath to soak and relax.

In this sense, there was a separate area to shower next to the already small tub. The whole bathroom was small, but even in this small space they were able to create an unusual hybrid of eastern and western customs.

Even as Miyako looked around, she wasn't thinking about such things.

Instead, her mind was focused on the matter at hand.

Namely, Arakuyo Kenji's absence from the dorm.

Outside, the golden sun sunk lower and lower in the sky as it bathed the city with a vibrant orange glow. It wasn't quite late enough that students hanging around in arcades or eating at restaurants would have to start worrying about curfew, but it was far later than Arakuyo's supplementary class let out.

Even still, Arakuyo had not yet returned to the dorm.

Mizuki frowned as she washed herself, letting suds accumulate as she scrubbed herself clean and wash away with the water running down her body.

"I wonder…"

As the green-haired vampire placed a tentative finger against her lips, she stepped deeper into the stream of water spouting from the showerhead. The vampire turned her body underneath the flow of water and sighed contentedly, letting the remaining suds and filth wash away from her and down the drain in the floor behind her.

Mizuki was trying to think of reasons why Arakuyo might have been held up, but without knowing much about the Esper's life at all, the only thing she could think of was that the red-haired Esper had been attacked.

Before yesterday, Mizuki would've been hard pressed to come up with a reason for the vampire hunter known as Brian O'Reilly to attack Arakuyo alone. Even more than Earthwyrm, Mizuki knew that O'Reilly was dangerously single-minded. If his goals simply didn't concern Arakuyo, there would be no reason for him to attack the Esper at all.

Now, however, Arakuyo had managed to take down both Earthwyrm and Tia Greenhart. If there was anyone that could be considered a serious threat to his goals, it would be Arakuyo. If the magician thought it would be in his best interest to attack Arakuyo before going after Mizuki, he would.

"Then again," Mizuki paused, turning off the water and grabbing a pale yellow towel off a rack behind her, "I really don't know anything about Arakuyo-san… maybe he got caught up somewhere or is doing something else…"

As Mizuki dried herself off, she shook her head as if to shake these thoughts from her head like the droplets of water flying from her hair.

"It's not like I know he's been attacked. I shouldn't jump to the worst case scenario like that…"

Worrying unnecessarily about situations that might not even be close to the truth was a waste of

time. Keeping that kind of mindset, Mizuki could relax and wait patiently for Arakuyo's return.

Wrapping the yellow towel around herself, the green-haired vampire stepped over to the bathroom counter and a set of folded clothes that she had placed there neatly beforehand.

In a few minutes time, the door to the bathroom opened and Mizuki emerged with a white t-shirt and a pleated orange skirt with a single black stripe running close to the bottom edge. Her hair was still damp, but it had been brushed straight and tied up in a neat ponytail.

Feeling relaxed and clean from her shower, the green-haired vampire closed her eyes and let out a long, yawn-like sigh. She opened her eyes slowly and stretched around a little before looking around the still empty apartment.

It was at this moment that the green-haired vampire froze.

Slowly, Mizuki turned her head to the door and her eyes widened.

The door was gone.

That was the only way to describe it. It wasn't like the door had been kicked or bashed in. The door had entirely and completely vanished, letting her see out straight into the passageway and the city painted gold by the sunset.

Mizuki eyes widened as she looked towards the floor beneath her.

Despite the fact that the door had completely vanished, it didn't seem like there was anything dangerous in the room at all.

But Mizuki knew better.

"Shit!" she cursed, rushing for the door. Even though there had been no signs, in the next moment large metal spikes erupted from runes that appeared on the ground beneath her feet.

They had not been visible a moment before, but each of the runes had been etched into the floor beforehand with a special kind of chalk that could write on any surface. After being applied, the chalk disappeared and stayed hidden until activated remotely or stepped on.

This had not been the first time Miyako Mizuki had encountered such traps.

As Mizuki dove out of the room, she saw similar runes appear on the floor below her, forcing her to jump over the railing lining the passageway wrapping itself around Arakuyo's dorm building. She let herself fall down to the third floor below and grabbed onto the railing.

The green-haired vampire pulled herself over the railing and landed roughly on the floor of the outdoor passageway. She dusted herself off and ducked down into a squatting position, ready to rush off in either direction.

If O'Reilly had set traps for her in the dorm, she imagined he wouldn't be far from the dorm building. There was a strong possibility that O'Reilly had already realized she had escaped, and was now on his way to intercept her.

Even though she had been letting Arakuyo fight for her this whole time, it wasn't like Mizuki was entirely defenseless. If she wasn't able to fight off magicians hunting her, she would've been captured a long time ago.

That being said, O'Reilly wasn't someone she wanted to fight at all.

"This is bad… I don't even know if Arakuyo-san would be able to beat O'Reilly even if he was here…"

Mizuki turned towards the stairs, not wanting to risk taking the dorm's elevator and trapping herself, and began running down to the base floor hastily. Luckily for her, it seemed that only the dorm and surrounding passageways had been trapped. The stairs and other hallways appeared clean.

Mizuki suddenly froze.

"W…why?"

O'Reilly wasn't the type of person who would care if other people got involved. Even assuming he couldn't draw the runes properly on something like a staircase, why were the other hallways and floors connecting flights of stairs free of traps?

"Shit, he's leading me down on purpose!"

Even though she had nearly reached the base floor, Mizuki whirled around and began charging upwards. If down was the safer route, then perhaps there was a reason O'Reilly wanted her to go down. Subsequently, if she encountered traps on the floors above the fourth floor, it probably meant that O'Reilly was trying to keep her from going up.

The green-haired vampire reached the fourth floor and stopped. It seemed like O'Reilly wasn't here, so the spike traps were not being remotely activated. In that case, it shouldn't matter who or what triggered the runes.

Mizuki pulled the hair band out of her hair and pulled it taut, ready to fling it at the stairs in front of her. The band struck a flat area on the floor near the stairs and a rune appeared on the floor. However, instead of a metal spike impaling the empty air above it, the rune simply flickered to life and then died back down without doing anything at all.

"What!?"

Mizuki paused.

From the rune she had discovered, it was clear there were multiple traps lining the stairs. Yet for some reason, even though she had touched the rune with a physical object, it had not activated.

The fact that she had no way of knowing what the traps ahead of her did made her nervous, but she could still exploit a principle these kinds of traps in general possessed. Namely, they took a bit of time after being stepped on to activate. It was precisely because of this that she wasn't simply impaled by the first rune she stepped on.

Even if she didn't know what the traps did, she still had a chance to get to the roof without getting caught.

"I can't wait around all day for O'Reilly to show himself!"

At these words, Mizuki charged up the stairs and all but leaped over the floor between the two flights of stairs.

Even though she hadn't stepped foot on them, the runes on the floor sprung to life and something shot out from each one, snaking through the air and moving towards Mizuki.

The green-haired vampire looked back in surprise and kicked off an adjacent wall to change her

trajectory. She felt something brush up against her leg, but she managed to escape landed on the stairs that were too narrow to support the runes.

"Chains!?"

Behind her, falling to ground now that they had missed their target, were multiple lengths of metal chains. Each extended out from the runes about two meters and fell short of reaching Mizuki, who was looking back at them in surprise.

The green-haired vampire cursed under her breath and rushed up the rest of the stairs, being careful not to get caught in any of the traps laid out for her.

"Made it!"

Mizuki rested against the door to the stairwell she had just emerged from as she stepped out onto the roof.

Even though she felt relief, the very fact that she had been attacked at the dorm was troublesome.

For O'Reilly to have set up all of those traps in such short notice, he must've been scouting out Arakuyo's dorm building from the beginning. If she didn't stop him here, O'Reilly wouldn't give them a chance to rest at the dorm again. For both her and Arakuyo, they would be unable to return to the dorm to rest until O'Reilly had been defeated.

"Impressive, vampire."

Mizuki's breath hitched in her throat the instant she heard the deep voice behind her.

She could hear the sound of slow, purposeful steps against the concrete of the roof as someone behind her clapped their hands in a mocking manner.

Mizuki narrowed her eyes.

In one lithe motion, the green-haired vampire stepped back and spun around to face her opponent directly. She raised her arms defensively and glared at the area in the shadow of the entrance to the stairwell.

"I may have been letting Arakuyo-san fight for me up until now, but don't think I won't-"

Mizuki stopped as she swerved around and came face to face with the empty air behind her.

"W-what!?"

Pain shot through her body as she felt something cold and sharp pierce through the back of her neck and emerge through the front in a shower of blood.

It had happened in a single instant. She hadn't had the opportunity to fight back at all.

Mizuki looked down at the long metallic spike piercing her throat. Blood oozed down it and dripped slowly onto the floor below her. At the same time, she could feel warm liquid ooze down her back and run down the front of her shirt, and the sensation of blood dripping down her torn throat into her lungs make her want to cough instinctively.

The spike was retracted in an instant, and Mizuki found herself unable to support her own weight.

She crumpled to the ground in a bloody heap and she coughed, blood bubbling through her lips as she tried to clear her wounded throat of the blood that was oozing through it and clogging it completely.

Mizuki could feel her body begin to heal itself, but the wound was severe, and the blood she was losing was laced with the precious healing essence that she needed to recover. O'Reilly had hit her in a place that was difficult to heal quickly. At this rate, she would pass out before her throat recovered.

She turned her body to look at her attacker, but her vision was blurry, and all she could see was the silhouette of the man who had so easily incapacitated her.

The ruthless vampire hunter and the leader of the team that had been sent to retrieve Mizuki, Brian O'Reilly, stood looking down at his prey collapsed helplessly on the floor.

As her vision began to fade, she could hear her own heartbeat pounding as she lay against the ground, unable to move.

However, over the sound of her heartbeat, she could also hear something else reverberating through the floor. The sound of pounding feet as someone ascended the staircase with incredible speed reached her ears and filled her with hope in such a desperate situation.

The door burst open with force as someone all but kicked it down. Mizuki looked up and caught the gaze of the red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji.

"Miyako-san!?"

Arakuyo's eyes left hers and darted immediately to the man standing before him on the roof.

The vampire-hunter standing ominously over his prey turned towards the red-haired high school student.

"You… You must me that boy… Arakuyo Kenji."

"W-what the hell did you do to Miyako-san!"

Even though her vision was failing her, Mizuki didn't need to look to know that those angry words that been accompanied by the fierce glare that only Arakuyo Kenji was capable of giving.

Now that he was here, Mizuki let herself relax as she her world began to go dark.

As long as Arakuyo Kenji was able to stand, he wouldn't let O'Reilly take her away.

* * *

 **Part 3**

Kenji glared straight ahead at the man standing over Miyako with a bloody weapon in his hands.

This was the person Kenji had heard Miyako speak of on the first night they had met. He was the leader of the group that had been pursuing her long before she even entered the bounds of Academy City. Even though he was supposedly not allowed to enter the city at all, he and Tia Greenhart had crossed over to pursue Miyako despite that restriction.

The man before him was dressed in what seemed to be some sort of priest's outfit. He was clad in a simple white robe that lacked the ornate decorations and fancy trims one might expect to see adorning the robe of a priest. The long robe covered the man's entire body and stopped around his ankles, revealing contrasting black boots with gold trim.

The man himself had short blonde hair that had been spiked straight up, and his eyes were concealed behind circular reflective sunglasses. Plastered across his face was a sinister scowl directed at Kenji himself, as though the red-haired student's interference was nothing short of a detestable sin.

He was the vampire hunter and magician of the Irish Catholic Church, Brian O'Reilly.

In his hands, O'Reilly held a simple metal pole that tapered into a long point. The lower end of the weapon was glistening with fresh blood and Miyako was lying on the ground nearby, bleeding from a wound in her neck.

"You bastard! I won't let you off with just one or two broken ribs after that!"

Yet even as Kenji said this with a fierce look in his eyes and his teeth clenched together in anger, Kenji had something else to worry about.

The reason for him returning to his dorm so late in the first place was because, just earlier that day, he had collapsed at school while performing some kind of test for Nakare. Even though he had been treated at the hospital and awoke, his head was still pounding and he felt slightly unsteady on his feet.

The doctor had said he had collapsed due to exertion, but the cause of his headache was unknown, and most likely a side effect of whatever was causing his AIM field to fluctuate.

In other words, Kenji was in a position where using his ability should be the last thing he was thinking about.

Yet using his ability was necessary to rescue Miyako from such a dire situation.

"Don't flatter yourself, heathen," O'Reilly spat, moving to pick up Miyako. The magician lifted the green-haired vampire and slung her over his shoulder roughly, in utter disregard for the condition Miyako was in. The white-robed man turned his back on the red-haired Esper and looked back at him through his sunglasses.

"I never had any intention of fighting you anyway."

At this, the spiky-haired vampire-hunter turned away from Kenji and began calmly walking towards the edge of the roof, as though he planned on jumping down.

"Don't turn your back on me, damnit!"

Despite his condition, Kenji grit his teeth and charged forwards, using his Density Shift to put extra weight into his left fist. Reeling his arm back and getting ready to throw his first punch,

Kenji let out something like an angered battle cry.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He brought his fist forward with a lot of force, but instead of feeling his fist slam into the magician's back, He felt something hard and rough block his punch. Kenji felt the skin on his knuckles break as his fist slammed into the hard object, and the red-haired Esper took two steps back in surprise.

"Did you really think you had defeated me fully, Esper!?"

Kenji's eyes widened.

There, standing between him and the retreating O'Reilly, was a figure not unfamiliar to Kenji.

The figure who had blocked his punch was a humanoid creature made entirely from smooth, grey stone. At his joints and in other places, glowing blue lines pulsing with magical energy ran along the creature's limbs, and in the middle of his chest sat a square-cut gemstone that glowed in the same blue color.

He looked a bit different than the last time Kenji had seen him, but he was unmistakably that same enemy from before.

"Earthwyrm!?"

"Oh, didn't you hear from your vampire friend? Golems get stronger the closer they are to their source of magic. Last time, I fought you when my master was forced to stay outside the city, but now that he's right here-"

With incredible speed despite being comprised entirely of stone, the golem charged forwards almost too fast for Kenji's eyes to follow and slammed a stone fist into the Esper's stomach. The blow was packed with force and sent Kenji flying backwards across the roof until he slammed into the small entranceway to the stairwell.

"I'm in an entirely different league than you now. Don't even think you can beat me, damnit! You can just go curl up in a ball and die like a bitch."

Kenji stabilized himself against the wall and glared at the stone golem. For an instant, he looked past the stone golem towards O'Reilly and watched as he reached the edge of the roof.

Whether O'Reilly planned to jump down to the ground below or jump across to another roof, Kenji could not afford to let him out of his sight.

In anger and desperation, the red-haired high school student charged towards the edge of the roof, ignoring Earthwyrm and ran straight for O'Reilly. The white-robed magician leapt off the end of the roof and seemed to glide as he bridged the gap between the dorm building and one of the other buildings nearby.

Kenji went to follow him, but as he jumped, his leg was caught by Earthwyrm and the stone golem pulled him back.

"Don't think I'll let you follow my master!"

Kenji felt himself being dragged down and was slammed roughly into the roof below him by the stone beast. Earthwyrm released his foot and lunged closer to him, but Kenji reacted quickly and lifted both of his legs up. As Earthwyrm approached, Kenji drove both feet into Earthwyrm's abdomen and sent the creature stumbling backwards.

The stone creature stumbled backwards and felt himself trip on the slight lip near the edge of the roof. Realizing his heavy body was tipping over the wrong side, Earthwyrm flailed his arms in an attempt to adjust his center of gravity.

Kenji smirked and kicked Earthwyrm while he was off balance, sending the stone creature tumbling over the edge.

Before Earthwyrm could fall, the stone creature reached forwards and grabbed a hold of Kenji's leg. Kenji stumbled forwards as well, and both of them fell of the roof and fell eight stories to the ground below.

As Earthwyrm hit the ground, his grip instinctively loosened on Kenji's leg and the Esper was able to tuck his body in and roll enough to diffuse the force of impact. That, in addition to using his Density Shift to make his body lighter, the Esper avoided receiving an injury from the fall.

Kenji looked up at the building O'Reilly had leapt onto and ran towards it, locating a fire escape that scaled the outside wall. As he reached framework of metal stairs, he caught sight of Earthwyrm pulling himself to his feet after the rough impact.

" _Good! As long as I've gotten this far ahead of Earthwyrm, I'll be able to keep track of O'Reilly!"_

As Kenji scaled the stairs quickly, he looked down at the metal railings lining the scaffolding and gave one of the support poles a light kick. The pole popped loose completely and Kenji grasped it in his hands with a grin.

As he reached the top of the roof, he could see that O'Reilly had already made it across the rooftop and had leapt onto the next rooftop over, turning back in time to see the red-haired Esper standing on the roof behind him.

Kenji could hear the loud clanging of the fire escape as Earthwyrm scaled the stairs to reach the roof as well. Not giving Earthwyrm a chance to catch up, Kenji charged forwards and leapt from the roof to follow O'Reilly, who was now making his way across the third rooftop faster than before.

Kenji made it to the edge of the roof and leapt for the third rooftop, using his ability to make him lighter as he jumped. While he was in the air, he turned his head back to try to pinpoint exactly how far behind Earthwyrm still was.

To Kenji's surprise, the stone creature was already sprinting across the rooftop behind him, reaching the edge and leaping moments before Kenji landed on the third rooftop.

Not wanting to risk giving Earthwyrm the chance to strike him from behind, Kenji whirled around and took two steps back as Earthwyrm turned his jump into a flying kick and struck where Kenji had been just a moment before. As soon as Earthwyrm' foot hit the ground, he changed trajectories and shot himself forwards towards Kenji, a clawed hand reeled back in preparation for a strike.

Dodging backwards again, Kenji swung the metal pole he had been keeping hidden and struck Earthwyrm's hand as he extended his claws out, leaving cracks in the stone surface.

"What!?"

Earthwyrm's stone face contorted in surprise as he caught sight of Kenji's weapon.

"Don't think I've forgotten how useful these things are on you, Earthwyrm."

Kenji swung the pole around again and slammed it into the side of Earthwyrm's face. The impact cracked the stone golem's cheek and sent him reeling backwards from the blow.

Smiling at his small victory, Kenji turned around to once again head after O'Reilly, who had almost made it across another roof by that point.

Kenji looked ahead to the advancing magician and back towards Earthwyrm, who had recovered and was quickly making his way towards Kenji once more.

" _Damn… this is a bad situation… O'Reilly made it so that I can't focus on him alone, otherwise Earthwyrm will attack me from behind. At the same time, if I stop and focus on Earthwyrm, I won't be able to keep tabs on where O'Reilly's headed."_

Kenji cringed as he slammed one eye shut and clutched his forehead. A wave of intense pain pulsed through his head and he stumbled as he ran towards O'Reilly.

" _And on top of that… I still haven't completely recovered from earlier… "_

As Kenji staggered, Earthwyrm appeared beside him and smirked, reeling his clawed hand back. Kenji reacted quickly and held the metal pole in defense, but he could not get a strong grip on it fast enough and the stone golem slashed the pole right out of Kenji's hands.

Kenji gritted his teeth and tried countering with a strong punch, but Earthwyrm caught it in his other hand and pulled Kenji backwards.

As Earthwyrm pulled Kenji's arm towards him, the stone golem swung his other arm back around and slashed across Kenji's chest, ripping straight through his shirt and leaving gashes in his flesh.

Earthwyrm then let go of Kenji's fist and punched him in the head, forcing the red-haired Esper to stumble backwards. The stone golem punched him again and Kenji felt his lip split, blood dripping down his face.

Before Kenji could recover, Earthwyrm grabbed Kenji's head with a clawed hand and slammed the Esper into the large air conditioning unit mounted on the roof of the building. Behind him, Kenji could feel the aluminum case creak and buckle behind him as his body slammed into it with immense force.

Kenji collapsed into the deep dent that his own body created in the metal behind him and coughed, having had all the air knocked out of him by the impact. Earthwyrm let go of the Esper's head and watched as the red-haired Esper struggled to even stand.

Kenji's headache flared as his head pounded from the impact from earlier. Through the pain, the red-haired Esper could barely focus on the situation before him.

In a daze, Kenji's eyes wandered upwards and focused on the dimming sky. The orange of sunset was slowly giving way to the dark, starless sky as the sun sunk below the horizon of buildings in the distance.

Kenji looked on, past Earthwyrm, at O'Reilly, who was retreating with the green-haired vampire over his shoulder.

" _To us humans... vampires are creatures that can't walk around in sunlight... but she can... I guess in the end I don't really know anything about vampires after all._ _"_

Kenji could feel his muscles give out as he once again tried to pull himself upright.

" _I didn't notice it… I guess… I just always saw her as a human… most of the time…"_

Kenji coughed again and he felt liquid rise up from his throat and spatter from his mouth, running down the edge of his already bleeding lip.

" _I… that person… I still want to protect her… Damnit…"_

Unable to stand, and with Earthwyrm standing over him ominously, Kenji closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax fully.

In that moment, Kenji's headache drilled through his head until that pain reached a high point, and he could feel something snap within his mind.

Earthwyrm got tired of waiting for Kenji to try to get up, and reeled his arm back to plunge a clawed hand through the defenseless Esper's chest.

Without even understanding what had happened, Earthwyrm felt something hit his face and he was blown back with tremendous force. The stone creature was sent flying like a rag doll and flew over across the gap between the rooftops, landing roughly on his back and sliding until he reached where O'Reilly stood.

In surprise, the white-robed magician whirled around to look at the golem that had been launched so effortlessly across a distance of at least ten meters.

Standing up in front of the air conditioner he had been slammed into, arm still outstretched from punching Earthwyrm, was the red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji.

"Yes, I see now…"

Arakuyo lowered his fist and looked down at both of his hands.

"I don't understand everything, but this clarity… it has something to do with why my AIM field's been out of control."

The red-haired Esper closed both of his open hands and clenched them into fists, shooting O'Reilly a fierce glare.

It was the same glare he had given countless opponents before, yet at the same time it was distinctly different.

This time, Kenji's eyes had changed.

It wasn't in the hypothetical sense. The golden-amber irises Kenji normally possessed had changed. They were now a silver-white color, and they looked as though they were glowing under their own light.

"I can feel it… somehow… my Personal Reality… has grown!"

At these words, Kenji leaned forward and launched himself over to the other rooftop and charged towards O'Reilly, running at full speed towards the battle that would decide the fate of the vampire he wanted to protect.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: Here you guys go. On schedule this time!**

 **I haven't gotten any new reviews or questions since last week, so nothing much to answer. I can tell you guys that Volume 1 is winding down, and that I will probably be taking a short break before I start posting chapters of Volume 2.**

 **Aside from that, I hoped you liked it! If you're liking the story so far, leave me a review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading, and as always, I'll be back with another one next week.**


	9. Volume 1 Chapter 8 - Clarity of Mind

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

* * *

 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Dark Steel**

 _ **Clarity_of_MIND.**_

 **Part 1**

"O'Reilly!"

The red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji charged towards the white-robed magician who

had carelessly slung Miyako Mizuki over his shoulder and was trying to get away.

Unimpeded, Brian O'Reilly seemingly possessed enough speed to vanish completely, moving from in front of Miyako to behind her before she could even catch a glimpse of him. However, with Miyako over his shoulders, the magician's speed dropped considerably.

On top of that, whatever it was that had given Kenji the power to throw a creature made out of heavy stone ten meters with a single punch had also given the Esper an incredible boost of speed.

O'Reilly wouldn't be able to dodge at all in this situation.

Kenji closed the remaining gap between himself and O'Reilly and reeled his arm back in preparation.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

The red-haired Esper brought his fist forwards with tremendous speed, and the attack was dead on to hit O'Reilly square in the stomach.

Even having seen what the tremendous force of this new Kenji's punch could do, the white-robed magician merely stood there with a blank expression on his face.

Just before Kenji's punch made contact with O'Reilly, Earthwyrm jumped to his feet and moved in between the Esper and his master. Planting himself firmly on the ground, Earthwyrm blocked Kenji's attack with his arms crossed in front of him defensively.

Even after having been thrown ten meters, and even with the deep cracks running all the way through Earthwyrm's stone head, the golem was still able to move fast enough to block Kenji's punch.

Instead of flying back like last time, Earthwyrm had been prepared for the force of the impact. The stone golem only moved back a few centimeters along the ground.

Even still, having withstood the entire force of impact from the red-haired Esper's punch, Earthwyrm's arms began to crack. Within moments, cracks spread through the stone golem's forearms and his hands began to crumble and break away, stopping just above the elbow.

"Tch," Earthwyrm gritted his teeth.

Kenji took a few steps back to distance himself from Earthwyrm and frowned.

Earthwyrm's strength and speed were greater than they were the last time Kenji fought, but even still, with a single punch Kenji was able to break the stone golem's arms.

" _I've already won this battle. I'm stronger than Earthwyrm now, and as long as I keep his arms like that-"_

"Heh, I know what you're thinking, Esper…"

Earthwyrm looked up at Kenji and smirked as best as he could with his damaged face.

"You're thinking something like 'I can keep him from regenerating his arms using the surrounding buildings, so I've basically won', right!?"

Earthwyrm held his damaged arms out to his sides, and blue runes appeared in circles around his damaged stumps. They appeared very similar to the runes that appeared when he used his surroundings to repair his body, but this time his arms were not in direct contact with anything like stone.

Even still, the circles began to move outward, and Earthwyrm's limbs regrew entirely.

At the same time, the cracks in the stone golem's face glowed a bright blue and closed themselves up.

"Didn't I already tell you!? With my master so close to me, my power has increased exponentially since we fought last! I don't even need to use the surrounding materials to repair myself!"

Instead of reacting in surprise or panic, Kenji merely smirked.

"Even if your power has increased exponentially, it doesn't matter."

Kenji crouched down in preparation for another attack.

The Esper held his arm out to his side and concentrated, using Density Shift to give his arm more mass.

Because of the incredible sensation of clarity that had filled Kenji's mind, the red-haired Esper was able to push past his old limits and increase his arm's density to a point he never had before.

This was essentially how he had blown Earthwyrm away with a single punch earlier.

Kenji reeled his arm back and launched himself towards Earthwyrm.

"I'm finishing this right here!"

Kenji reached Earthwyrm's position and brought his fist forwards with tremendous force.

Earthwyrm didn't have time to dodge.

The stone golem was once again forced to block the attack with his arms.

"Gah!"

Earthwyrm felt his arms break away like last time as they absorbed the full impact of Kenji's punch. Still, he had managed to absorb the entirely of the impact. Even as he stood there,

Earthwyrm was already starting to regrow his arms.

Yet even though it seemed like his attack had been successfully blocked, Kenji smirked victoriously.

"It's over, Earthwyrm."

The red-haired Esper brought his other fist forwards towards Earthwyrm's face. Even though the stone golem was already regenerating his arms, the spell wouldn't finish in time to allow him to block the attack.

Earthwyrm ducked back and tried to dodge Kenji's punch, but in that moment the red-haired Esper brought his other arm forwards again and landed a strong hit on the gem embedded in

Earthwyrm's chest.

As Earthwyrm's concentration was lost, the regenerative spell fizzled out, leaving the stone golem with stumps stopping just before his wrists.

"W-wha…. WHAT!?"

Earthwyrm stumbled backwards from the impact and looked down at the gem on his chest.

"Th-this… this pain… Why?"

A single, jagged crack appeared in the jewel, and Earthwyrm's eyes widened.

"Im… impossible… you…"

More cracks began to spread outward through the jewel, and finally the blue gem shattered in a small explosion of small shards and blue light.

The glowing blue lines across Earthwyrm's body flickered and died out with the jewel, and Earthwyrm's body fell backwards like an empty husk. The golem's stone body hit the ground roughly and shattered like a ceramic statue that had been knocked over. As the magical energy that held Earthwyrm together faded away, his body began to crumble into small stones and sand.

Earthwyrm, the modified golem employed by the Irish Catholic Church, had been destroyed entirely.

As Kenji stood victoriously over the golem's remains, the sounds of a mocking slow clap reached the red-haired Esper's ears.

Kenji turned his head and glared at the white-robed magician.

In the time Kenji was fighting Earthwyrm, O'Reilly had placed Miyako's unconscious body on the ground and was now clapping his hands together with a small smile on his face.

"That power of yours is impressive, however…"

Just as it had happened with Miyako, O'Reilly entirely and completely disappeared. Even though Kenji was looking directly at O'Reilly when it happened, his body entirely vanished without a single movement.

Kenji didn't even want to call it speed.

"Haven't you noticed already? Your body can't even handle that power of yours."

Kenji spun around to see O'Reilly standing directly behind him, pointing down at the red-haired Esper's arms with an outstretched hand.

"Your hands are swollen and bleeding… they're broken… and your shoulder… dislocated maybe?"

Kenji looked down and his eyes widened. O'Reilly wasn't lying.

Blood dripped from Kenji's raw knuckles steadily, and the shoulder of his left arm was resting in an unnatural position.

There was a phenomenon where warriors in the midst of battle or athletes in the middle of a big game could get injured without feeling a single thing. It was a kind of shock that could only be brought out in the most desperate of circumstances.

It seemed that Kenji was going through a similar situation. His body was lying to him about its condition so he could fight at his full strength even with severe damage.

Even still, such a situation was dangerous.

"You didn't notice, but tell me, Esper…. How long do you think that body of yours can last?"

O'Reilly took a fighting stance and readied the spike-like weapon in his hands.

"Even if my body is destroyed… as long as I stop you from taking her, I'll be satisfied!"

Kenji's words were not some kind of boast or intimidation tactic, meant to scare O'Reilly with his sheer force of will. Instead, Kenji had spoken those words from his heart, without even thinking about them for a second.

Back when Earthwyrm was about to finish him off, Kenji looked to the darkening sky and realized just how little he understood about Miyako.

She was a vampire, but she acted no different than humans. She could stand under the same sun as humans, have the same desires as humans, and smile and laugh as humans do.

Therefore, it stood to reason that she could also cry and despair like humans.

Kenji wondered if she had ever felt that despair. The hopeless feeling of being chased until one ran up against a wall, and then cornered. The utter despair one felt as they were caught like an animal and caged away to be used for someone else's desires.

On the first night they met, Miyako had told him that vampires supposedly contained an infinite supply of magical energy in their bodies.

Even if she was wrong, if that was the belief of these magic organizations- or rather, if that was the belief of the Irish Catholic Church- it wasn't hard to understand why they were chasing her so tenaciously.

It was out of nothing but greed and desire for power.

Kenji would never allow anyone motivated with such vile ambitions take away someone as human as Miyako.

In that moment, he truly believed what he said.

He didn't care at all if he fought until he could no longer stand.

"O'REILLY! YOU'LL LOOK LIKE A PATCHWORK DOLL WHEN THEY STITCH YOU BACK TOGETHER AFTER I'M DONE WITH YOU!"

Pouring all the anger and determination into his fists, Kenji shot forwards with one goal.

" _Miyako! I'll defeat him… I'll definitely protect you!"_

"Heh…"

O'Reilly merely smirked as Kenji closed in on him.

Earthwyrm had been destroyed. There was no one to block the punch this time.

On top of that, Kenji was not holding back.

Even if he had to shatter all the bones in his left arm, he'd just keep on fighting with his right.

With this mentality, Kenji was able to swing at full force.

Yet still, O'Reilly smirked.

Kenji's fist did not connect with the white-robed magician. Instead of hitting O'Reilly's body with a force powerful enough to break stone, Kenji's fist merely passed through the magician's body like he was some sort of ghost.

Seeing this, Kenji's eyes widened and he whirled around instantly.

Behind him was the real O'Reilly, waiting with his metal spike in his hands.

"Good instinct… no… that wasn't instinct was it? You realized the moment you noticed that

O'Reilly was a fake that I would go for a surprise attack."

Kenji jumped back and barely dodged the metal spike headed straight for his head.

The clear, ominous intent to end someone's life emanated from O'Reilly's entire being.

"Your power is incredible… but your true danger is your mentality. You're both cunning enough to see through my traps and determined enough to push forwards at all costs…"

O'Reilly took the spiked pole in both hands like a spear and drove it forwards towards Kenji. The red haired Esper managed to dodge right, but the spike grazed his cheek and a bleeding cut appeared where it had scratched him.

"Tch."

Bringing his hand up, Kenji wiped off the blood as he dodged backwards again.

It wasn't that Kenji intended to run away, but there was a problem with attacking O'Reilly at all.

Namely, even if he went on counterattack, there was no way Kenji could be sure he was attacking the real O'Reilly. Kenji would be left open after a full-force attack. If he were to attack the wrong target, O'Reilly would have the chance to deliver a decisive blow that could end him in one strike.

On the other hand, Kenji attacked with so much force that he would surely leave O'Reilly incapacitated if he got just a single hit in.

In other words, even though this was the final battle where one would imagine an all-out brawl, whoever got the first hit in would be victorious.

" _In this battle of wits… I'll be the one to come out on top!"_

Even as Kenji thought this, he realized it was very likely O'Reilly was thinking a similar thing.

The white-robed magician grinned and raised his spiked pole into the air above him. Below Kenji, multiple magic arrays appeared on the ground and began glowing.

"S-shit!"

Kenji leapt into the air just as the magical arrays that formed on the ground erupted into large metal spires. The spires were packed closely together densely and left no room to stand between them. If Kenji had tried to dodge either left or right, he would've been impaled by multiple spikes either way.

Kenji used his Density Shift to stay in the air and looked down at where O'Reilly had been when he cast the spell. The space below him where the white-haired mage had been standing moments ago was empty, and the rest of the rooftop seemed barren as well.

" _Damn… I lost sight of him!"_

Kenji allowed himself to fall back to the ground, just outside of the perimeter of metal spires. The red-haired Esper rested all his weight on the balls of his feet and kept all his senses tuned.

Kenji knew O'Reilly wouldn't leave Miyako behind just to run. Miyako was his primary objective.

As long as Miyako was still lying on the roof, it meant O'Reilly was nearby.

" _He won't be able to damage me with an illusion. The second he attacks, I'll strike!"_

Hearing a shuffling sound behind him, Kenji jumped to the side just as O'Reilly's metal spike jabbed at the air where he was just standing.

O'Reilly's spike, as well as his arm, was coming directly out of the forest of metal spires behind him.

"W-what!?"

Even though there were small gaps between the spires, there shouldn't have been enough room for O'Reilly to even move around.

On top of that, O'Reilly's arm was coming directly out of a metal spire, not from between them.

Kenji looked between the metal spires, but he couldn't see a single sign of the rest of O'Reilly's body. Even though O'Reilly was attacking, Kenji couldn't attack a body that wasn't there.

Kenji jumped back from the metal spires and crouched low, still alert for any sign of movement from the white-robed vampire hunter.

As Kenji faced the wall of metal created by the many spires that O'Reilly had summoned, a ripple appeared in the surface of one of the spires, and the rest of O'Reilly's body emerged. The whole time, O'Reilly had used a spell to hide inside the metal.

Kenji cursed under his breath.

This whole time, he had forgotten a crucial fact.

During his fight with Earthwyrm, O'Reilly had stopped running to watch the Esper. Even if it was for only a brief moment, O'Reilly had seen Kenji's fighting style and abilities. Even if O'Reilly wasn't entirely sure how Kenji's Density Shift worked, he knew enough from watching his fight to be one step ahead at all times.

In the same way, Kenji was at a complete disadvantage.

This was his first time encountering the vampire hunter known as Brian O'Reilly. All of O'Reilly's spells and attacks were unknown to him. Unlike Tia Greenhart, who seemed to have limited attacks that she cycled through, O'Reilly could have multiple spells at his disposal.

Without knowing the limits to O'Reilly's ability, Kenji was two steps behind.

Yet even with that kind of difference, Kenji wasn't going to give up.

There was one thing he was sure of. The next time O'Reilly attacked him, he would deliver a decisive blow before the magician could even retaliate.

O'Reilly vanished once again and Kenji whirled around to face away from the forest of metal spires sticking up from the ground. Just as Kenji had imagined, the white-robed magician had appeared directly behind him, weapon ready to deliver a final blow.

"You've been a thorn in my side since we arrived here… no, since even before then. I'll end you here and now, heathen!"

Kenji smirked and dodged to the left, sidestepping O'Reilly's spear thrust effortlessly.

"You're wide open, O'Reilly!"

Kenji whirled his arm back and O'Reilly's eyes widened. The white robed magician took a quick step back and raised his arms, but Kenji was expecting him to dodge. Kenji stepped forwards and prepared to drive his fist straight into O'Reilly's face.

As O'Reilly braced himself for impact, however, Kenji's own eyes widened. In an instant, the strange silvery glow faded from Kenji's eyes, and the red-haired Esper staggered as he clutched his head in pain.

"Gahhh!"

The clarity that Kenji had gained had just as quickly vanished, and the headache that ailed him prior returned with a vengeance. Unable to concentrate on the fight, Kenji staggered again and he stopped his attack short.

The white-robed magician took the opening and whipped his weapon around, slamming it into Kenji's leg. A loud crack echoed across the rooftop, and Kenji yelled out in agony. Before Kenji could fall to the ground, however, O'Reilly whirled around and jabbed the Esper in the stomach with the blunt end of his pole-arm.

Kenji doubled over and coughed, spatters of blood flying out of his mouth and landing on the ground in front of him.

O'Reilly followed up with yet another strike to Kenji's side, and the red-haired Esper staggered backwards, nearly collapsing when his weight shifted onto his injured leg. As he was pushed back, Kenji felt his leg brush up against the lip of concrete at the edge of the building, and he collapsed to the ground in an attempt to avoid stumbling off the roof.

O'Reilly shook his head slowly, looking down on the fallen Esper.

"You're no longer a threat to me, Esper…" O'Reilly stated bluntly. He hadn't put any cockiness or mocking into his words, as if he were simply stating a fact.

And O'Reilly wasn't wrong.

With Kenji's accumulated injuries, there'd be no chance of a fair fight between the two. O'Reilly had more power, more skill, and he had the advantage of knowing how Kenji fought.

"Once I leave with the vampire, you'll have no way of tracking me down. It's already over," O'Reilly concluded, turning around and locating where he had laid the green-haired vampire on the roof.

Kenji grit his teeth as he laid on the rooftop, barely able to move.

He couldn't let things end like this.

As O'Reilly took a step towards Miyako, he felt something reach out and clamp around his ankle. Whirling around in surprise, he found Kenji, still lying on the concrete, reaching his arm out and grasping O'Reilly's leg weakly.

"I… won't… let you…"

O'Reilly frowned and kicked the Esper off of his leg.

"Stay there, Esper, and you will live a little longer yet," O'Reilly commanded, "I didn't come here to kill you. As long as you don't get in my way, I couldn't care less if you live or die."

O'Reilly attempted to take another step forwards, but once again Kenji reached out and gripped his leg tightly, trying to hold him back.

"You… can't take her…"

In anger, O'Reilly whirled around and kicked Kenji in the side, forcing the Esper to release his foot.

"She is a vampire… a monster… a vile creature worth no man's sympathy!" O'Reilly yelled, venom filling his voice, "Whatever lies she's weaved to you to wind you around her finger… forget them! Do not throw your life away for such vile filth!"

O'Reilly moved to turn around again, but before he knew what was happening, Kenji had dragged himself to his feet and punched the white-robed magician in the face.

It wasn't a punch amplified by Kenji's Density Shift. The Esper could no longer draw out the concentration to perform such complex calculations in his current state. Yet even so, the normal punch sent O'Reilly reeling backwards, eyes wide in shock and anger.

"Miyako… is not… a monster…"

O'Reilly's face scrunched up with anger and the white-robed magician turned to face Kenji.

"Stubborn fool…" O'Reilly growled, "Fine, if you want to die so badly, allow me to oblige you!"

O'Reilly shifted his grip on his pole-arm and took a step towards Kenji. He drew his arms back and thrust the weapon forward like a spear, aiming directly at the red-haired Esper. Even though Kenji saw the attack coming, he wasn't in any shape to react fast enough. The sharpened point of the metal pole stabbed Kenji in the torso.

O'Reilly impaled Kenji further, letting the Esper double over and cry out in pain before he ripped his weapon out of Kenji's torso roughly. Kenji collapsed to the ground and clutched at his wound, feeling the blood seeping out of his injury.

O'Reilly stared silently down at Kenji for a brief moment before turning around, swing the metal pole to the side once and flinging Kenji's blood off of his weapon. He quickly relocated Miyako and began walking off in her direction, leaving Kenji lying on the roof of the building.

Kenji watched through his fading vision as O'Reilly reached the green-haired vampire and picked her up, reaching his bloodied hand out towards Miyako as the white-robed magician lept from the roof and disappeared from sight.

" _I'm sorry, Miyako…"_ Kenji lamented mentally, " _I wasn't strong enough to protect you…"_

As Kenji thought this, he let his eyes slip shut as he felt his consciousness fading.

 _Arakuyo Kenji…_

Through his dulled senses, Kenji though he heard the sound of a voice calling out to him.

"Arakuyo Kenji…"

Kenji tried to focus on the voice. There was something vaguely familiar about it, but Kenji still couldn't pinpoint it.

"Arakuyo Kenji!"

The voice sounded distant to Kenji, but in the next moment he felt someone roll him over gently and tear his shirt open to tend to his wounds. Kenji focused on the distant voice as it kept calling out to his name, allowing it to put him at ease as his world faded to black.

* * *

 **Part 2**

When Kenji woke up, he found himself in an unfamiliar room.

When Kenji lost consciousness, he figured that whoever had found him would take him straight to the hospital. But the room he was in now was nowhere near as sterile or impersonal as a standard hospital room.

Kenji was lying in a bed off to one side of the room, pushed up against a wall with a covered window. There were a few shelves off to one side, lined with books and files that were stacked on top of each other haphazardly. Next to one of the bookshelves was a small desk that was half-buried under pages upon pages of complex equations and graphs scribbled on grid paper.

A somewhat disorderly pile of folded clothes sat on the floor in a pile. Comprised mostly of purple fabrics and with a few skirts and what Kenji was pretty sure was a pair of panties poking out of the pile.

If Kenji had to guess, he would feel fairly safe to assume this room belonged to a woman.

However, Kenji didn't even need to guess. Resting in an armchair pulled up near the bed was the sleeping form of Nakare Mitsuho.

The raven-haired woman had her head resting on her left arm, her balled hand pressing into her cheek. It seemed like it would be impossible to fall asleep in such a position, but her closed eyes and light snoring left nothing ambiguous. In that odd position, Nakare had actually managed to fall asleep.

Since he had woken up, Kenji had barely moved, only moving his head and eyes to look around the room. Yet, as if Nakare had somehow realized Kenji had come to, the lab coat-clad woman stirred as she too began to wake.

The raven-haired woman shifted in her seat and let out a quiet yawn, raising one hand to rub the corner of her eye as she stretched the other one. It took her a few minutes to realize where she was and what she was doing, but the second she did her eyes darted straight to the bed where Kenji woke up.

Noticing the red-haired Epser was awake, Nakare spoke.

"Arakuyo-san, you're awake."

She sounded bored or possibly still drowsy, but a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Why am I here?" Kenji asked, taking the opportunity to ask the question that had been bugging him since he first woke up.

"I brought you here," Nakare replied, "When I found you I was really concerned, so I decided to let you stay here."

"No," Kenji shook his head, "I mean, why didn't you bring me to a hospital?"

This question seemed to catch Nakare off guard, for she tilted her head to the side and frowned.

"Hospital?" Nakare echoed in confusion, "Why would you- Oh! Your friend found you before I did, she said she patched you up a little, but if you were expecting to wake up in the hospital I guess she understated things a little."

"Wait…" Kenji began, trailing off as he processed what Nakare had just said. The way she had spoke made it sound like she had meant to clear things up, but it only raised more questions in Kenji's mind.

" _Patched up…"_ Kenji pondered before noticing something odd, " _Wait, does that mean…?"_

Kenji attempted to pull himself upright, expecting to feel pain shoot through his body. Instead, he effortlessly shifted into a sitting position, letting some of the sheets concealing his bare torso fall away to reveal unbroken skin.

It wasn't just his torso either. The injuries on his hands and shoulder were gone too, and Kenji was willing to bet that his leg was fully healed too.

There was just one problem.

"Who… healed me…?"

Kenji asked the question more to himself than Nakare, but even still the raven-haired woman looked as though she were about to answer. She opened her mouth to provide Kenji with a name, but in that moment the bedroom door swung open abruptly and both Nakare and Kenji turned to look at the doorway.

Nakare's bedroom had a small amount of sunlight filtering in through the covered window, but overall the room was much dimmer than the well-lit room it was connected to. As such, the figure standing in the doorway was obscured by their own shadow.

"Arakuyo Kenji…"

Kenji's eyes widened as the figure called out his name. Even though she was standing against the backlight of the other room, Kenji was pretty sure he recognized her voice.

As the figure walked further into the room and closed the door, coming into view and confirming Kenji's suspicions.

Dressed a purple v-neck with a single yellow star decal printed across its chest and around her waist was a pair of dark blue denim capris held up by a black belt with a simple square buckle, the woman's appearance was drastically different from when they had first met.

Even still, Kenji knew it was her.

"Tia Greenhart!" Kenji exclaimed, standing up and leaping into a defensive fighting position. His quick movements startled Nakare, who began looking between the two with a confused expression plastered across her face.

As Kenji stood there, dozens of thoughts raced through his mind.

" _What is she doing here? How did she find me!? What does she want with me?"_

Before he could vocalize any of these questions, Tia Greenhart spoke again.

"Arakuyo Kenji… We need to talk."

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: Here's the next chapter!**

 **I recently received a review addressing Kenji's power, so I thought I'd clear things up here so anyone with this question on their mind can rest easy. Kenji's ability does not break the Law of Conservation of Mass. From the basic explanation of Kenji's ability I gave in the form of Kenji's incredibly glossed over explanation to Miyako, it's not an unreasonable conclusion to draw. But it's still an incorrect one. The explanation Kenji gave Miyako was an explanation of what he could do with his power, not HOW he does it. Kenji never said he could create mass, and he can't. He said he can change an object's mass, and he can, but he doesn't create or destroy mass to do it.**

 **If you want an more solid explanation, Kenji's mass altering abilities work like this: When he wants to decrease the mass of an object, he takes the mass and "stores" it somewhere else, and the object gains that mass back when Kenji releases the effects of his power on it. How he increases mass is a bit more complicated, but I'd say it probably works in a similar manner: taking mass from surrounding objects and adding it to whatever his power is affecting. There's some more intricate problems, like how he adds mass to an object while keeping its composition the same, but I never really meant to get that in-depth with Kenji's abilities anyway. In the long run, this is still a story, and while I wanted to clear this up to avoid future confusion, in the end this is still a story. If over-explaining something makes it uninteresting, I won't, even if it leaves things ambiguous or open to incorrect assumptions.**

 **Anyway, Thanks for reading! I enjoy reading what you guys have to say about the story, so feel free to leave a review! I hoped you liked the chapter, and as always, I'll be back with another one next week!**


	10. Volume 1 Chapter 9 - Stoker's Coffin

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

* * *

 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Recovery**

 _ **Stoker's_COFFIN.**_

 **Part 1**

The red-haired high school student known as Arakuyo Kenji stood in what he assumed to be Narake's bedroom, staring at the blonde-haired witch that just the other day had been his enemy. He had his arms raised in a defensive position, and was glaring at Tia Greenhart in alarm and anger.

Greenhart stood across the room, rather calm in contrast to Kenji's intense reaction. She wasn't posed to attack, and in fact appeared to be completely unarmed.

"So, I'm guessing you two aren't actually friends, then."

In the middle was Nakare, who wore a look of mild confusion across her face. It was clear that the facts she had been given were far removed from the reality of the situation. She focused intently on her two guests, likely trying to figure out what the real relationship between the two was.

"I'll ask again," Kenji grit his teeth, "What are you doing here?"

Greenhart looked at Nakare and sighed before turning around towards the door. Not looking back, she addressed Kenji.

"Like I said, we need to talk… in private. I'll be in the hallway just outside the apartment. It's your decision if you want to trust me or not, but right now, I'm the only chance you have at saving _that person_. Choose wisely. I'll be waiting."

With that, Greenhart left, leaving Kenji alone in the room with Nakare. The raven-haired woman seemed to be intensely mulling over what Greenhart just said, trying to ascertain the situation from the short exchange that just took place.

Kenji himself was similarly trying to piece together what was going on. From what Nakare had told him, she had found him with a friend, and she seemed to have been under the impression that he and Greenhart were friends until Kenji's outburst.

So, if Greenhart was this friend Nakare was talking about…

" _Did…. did Greenhart heal me?"_

"Nakare-sensei," Kenji spoke, turning to the raven-haired woman, "I need to make one thing clear. That woman, Tia Greenhart…. she was with me when you found me last night, right?"

Nakare nodded, "That's correct. I came looking for you after I noticed something was wrong, but by the time I found you, she was hauling you around on her back. I don't know where she was planning on taking you, but when I suggested bringing you here she seemed fine with it. She seemed worried about you, so in the end I let her stay the night."

Kenji sighed. There was no denying it now. The person who had saved him on the roof was undoubtedly Tia Greenhart.

" _But… why?"_

Kenji had been searching for an answer to his question when Nakare spoke up abruptly.

"You shouldn't keep her waiting, you know."

"Huh?" Kenji responded, having been caught off-guard by the comment.

Nakare sighed, but then answered, "Greenhart-san. She said she'd be waiting out in the hallway for you."

Kenji sighed, turning his head towards the door with a hesitant look in his eyes.

"Yeah, but…"

Nakare held her hand up and shook her head, "I don't know the relationship between you two, and I don't know exactly what's going on, but she mentioned there was someone you wanted to save. When she said that, you tensed up, so I assume that wasn't a bluff. This person, they're important to you, then?"

"Y-yeah," Kenji replied, a little wary of mentioning anything about Miyako to one of his teachers. Still, Nakare had already caught a glimpse of the world Kenji had fallen into upon meeting the vampire. Answering a vague question like that would be fine.

"Then this is important," Nakare nudged him towards the door gently.

Kenji paused for a moment, wary of the witch who waited just outside Nakare's apartment. Yet Kenji knew there was some merit to Greenhart's words. He didn't have the slightest idea as to where to find O'Reilly and Miyako, and by now they could easily be outside of Academy City. Greenhart was his best chance at tracking O'Reilly down and rescuing Miyako, if she was truly willing to help him.

Ultimately, there were so many unanswered questions at this point that talking to Greenhart would be the only way for him to get a good feel for her motivations.

"Alright," Kenji replied finally, turning towards the door. As he reached for the doorknob, however, something that Nakare said earlier jumped out in his mind.

"W-wait a minute," Kenji turned around to face Nakare, "Earlier you said you came looking for me when you 'noticed something was wrong', but how did you know I had gotten myself into trouble?"

Nakare's eyes widened and she immediately averted her gaze.

"Um… well, about that…." Nakare began, "You see… uh… well… sometimes scientists like to… protect their assets…. and subjects… you know?"

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Kenji asked.

"Well... I may have implanted a small device that allows me to monitor your AIM field and vitals remotely," Nakare admitted, speaking so fast that Kenji had almost missed it.

Almost.

"YOU WHAT!?"

"You collapsed in the lab! Your AIM field's instability is clearly something to be concerned about!" Nakare replied, trying to defend herself.

"You could've told me about it before I left the hospital!" Kenji retorted. The red-haired Esper let out a deep sigh and turned around back towards the door. "Well, whatever. I guess it's fine. Anyway, I'm going to talk to Greenhart, so I guess I'll see you later."

Kenji made his way out of Nakare's bedroom and squinted his eyes as they adjusted to the brighter light that filled the rest of the apartment. It was considerably bigger than Kenji's dorm and considerably messier too, with notes and bits of electronics scattered about wherever there was a flat surface to place it on. It took Kenji a few moments to realize that the cluttered area to his right was a small, open kitchenette.

After glancing around the messy apartment, Kenji made his way to the front door and took a deep breath before reaching out to open it.

"Um, Kenji-san…"

Kenji turned around to see Nakare standing in the doorway of her bedroom, looking at him with concerned face.

"Yeah?" the red-haired Esper asked, turning around to face her.

"You're still not wearing a shirt…"

* * *

 **Part 2**

When Kenji finally emerged from Nakare's apartment, he found Greenhart sitting cross-legged on the floor of the hallway, reading what looked to be a really old book. Even as Kenji slipped out of the apartment behind him and closed the door, the blonde-haired witch continued to gaze down at the tome in her lap.

Kenji was about to announce his presence to Greenhart when she looked up and met his gaze.

"Arakuyo Kenji..."

Greenhart pulled herself off the ground as she spoke, standing up fully and giving Kenji a very complicated expression that he couldn't quite read. As she stood, she reached into her pocket and produced a small vial filled with a pale yellow liquid and held it up for Kenji to see.

"This is a healing potion made from a vampire's blood and refined using a specialized ritual. I don't know if you're already aware of the healing abilities a vampire's blood possesses, but even a few drops of this would be able to heal broken bones or deep gashes. I used this to heal you."

"So… you were the one who healed me, then…" Kenji noted, Greenhart's words only confirming his suspicions. Kenji didn't trust Greenhart, but he didn't have any particular reason to doubt her, either. He knew that his overnight recovery was more than likely the result of magic rather than medicine, and the very fact that she had bothered to show him the potion at all only further validated her claims. Now that Kenji had seen the vial, he could easily ask her to show him the vampire extract at work. If she had been lying, she wouldn't have bothered showing him the vial at all.

Still, there was something even more pressing that Kenji needed to ask. Even accepting that Greenhart had healed him, there was something that didn't add up in the red-haired Esper's mind.

"Why…?" He asked, more to himself than to Greenhart.

The blonde-haired witch arched an eyebrow at Kenji and tilted her head to the side.

"Why?" she echoed quizzically.

"Why did you heal me in the first place? I hate to admit it, but I totally lost. If you hadn't healed me, I would've died, right? I'm the only one who knows about Miyako-san, so with me out of the way there would've been no one stopping you and O'Reilly from leaving Academy City. You would've succeeded in capturing Miyako-san. That's why I don't get it. What reason would you have for betraying your previous goals so suddenly like this?"

The blonde-haired woman sighed and nodded.

"Right… about that... It's not like I had any intentions of hiding it anyway. Although this probably runs counter to my actions so far, the truth is that I'm not actually a member of the Irish Catholic Church."

"Wh-what!? What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly that. I'm not a member of the Irish Catholic Church. I'm actually known as a rogue magician, or a magician that doesn't associate with any magic organizations or sects. It's different to being a mercenary, because I usually don't work with magical organizations at all, even if it were for money."

"Hang on," Kenji interjected, "If that's true, then why are you working with O'Reilly?"

"I was getting to that."

Greenhart held up the yellowed tome she had been reading earlier. Upon closer inspection, the cover of the leather-bound book had some sort of magic array inscribed upon it.

"This might not look like much, but it's an old grimoire that's been passed down through my family since my great-grandmother created it. Not only does it hold sentimental value for me, but it also contains my most powerful spells. A while back, however, the Irish Catholic Church managed to get their hands on it, and they've been using it as leverage to force me into cooperating with them ever since. Actually, it's thanks to your interference that I was able to get it back at all. If you hadn't broken my staff, no… even before that. If you hadn't been persistent enough to attack me in the first place, I don't think O'Reilly would've even given it to me at all."

"So, now that you have it back, they don't have any more leverage to control you? But wait… why would O'Reilly give you the one thing keeping you cooperative?"

"You're right… O'Reilly is a calculated and cunning man. There's no way he'd give me back this grimoire without having some other way of insuring I'd keep working with him regardless."

Greenhart waved her other hand and the grimoire automatically flipped to a specific page on its own. She looked at the page for a moment and frowned before turning the book around to show Kenji. The pages looked normal enough at first glance, but when Kenji looked closer he noticed a row of glowing red runes running up and down the pages right next to the gutter. Many of the characters were standalone, but some of the runes had lines running off of them and dipping down into the center of the gutter and disappearing into the book's spine.

"These runes are a type of remote detonation spell that will destroy the spine of the book on a simple command. My guess is O'Reilly will activate the descruction spell the instant he finds out I betrayed him. However, there are two crucial things I managed to figure out from this spell. The first is that this spell is relatively short range, meaning that the source of the spell couldn't be in a place like Ireland. The second is that these runes come from a completely different branch of magic than what O'Reilly is accustomed to, meaning that there's probably some sort of item acting as the source of the spell, rather than O'Reilly himself."

Kenji nodded his head as soon as he realized where Greenhart was going.

"I see. Defeating O'Reilly would give you the opportunity to find that item would give you the chance to remove the spell from your grimoire, but you can't simply attack O'Reilly yourself because he'd just destroy it the second you turned on him. You want my help because I want to defeat O'Reilly to rescue Miyako-san, so we'd both benefit. That's why you healed me, right?"

Greenhart smiled and nodded.

"Precisely. Moreover, because of O'Reilly's plans, now is the perfect opportunity to strike. I'm pretty sure you realized this already, but it would be hard to smuggle a kidnapped girl from Japan to Ireland. In fact, if Miyako Mizuki was just a normal girl, O'Reilly would have a hard time making it back to Ireland at all. However, O'Reilly possesses a special magic item that would make the task of transporting Miyako back to Ireland effortless. It's a specialized prison for vampires known as 'Stoker's Coffin'. It's a coffin that takes advantage of a vampire's biology and forces them into an artificially 'dead' state. On top of that, it's an easy way to imprison vampires for extended periods of time. Miyako herself could probably be kept in a regular prison, but normal vampires, who don't need to rely on items to channel their magic and have an incredible amount of destructive power, would be difficult to keep captive otherwise."

Kenji nodded.

"So that's how he was planning on transporting Miyako-san… But wait… How does that make this the perfect time to strike O'Reilly?"

"The first Stoker's Coffin was a magically primitive item made with magic over 100 years old. It has no real way of determining whether a vampire is sealed within it or not. Therefore, as a safety precaution, a certain amount of time is needed to unseal the Coffin to prevent someone simply releasing a vampire on a whim. Even though O'Reilly's coffin is a replica, and not the original, it still works off of that same basic principle. The unsealing ritual he has to perform usually requires four magicians and six hours to complete, but because he's working alone, it will take him about a day to complete it. On top of that, while he's performing the ritual, he'll be forced to stay within a certain distance from the Coffin and he'll be pouring much of his magical energy into the ritual. In other words, while he's unsealing Stoker's Coffin, he'll be both restricted in movement and unable to perform his most powerful spells. It will be the ideal time to strike."

"Hold on," Kenji noted, "If it usually takes four magicians to unseal Stoker's Coffin, why aren't you helping him with the ritual? Actually, wouldn't he expect you to be wherever he's hiding right now, instead of helping me?"

Greenhart shook her head, "The magic I use isn't compatible with the Coffin. It uses some kind of prayer-based channeling technique that I don't understand, so I don't have any capacity to unseal the Coffin. Also, since O'Reilly thinks you're dead, he doesn't need me around to act as a bodyguard. After leaving you at Nakare's, I returned to where we've been staying and told him I was going to rent a hotel so I could sleep in a real bed. Then I came back here."

Kenji nodded, "So, right now, O'Reilly is confined to a specific place, and he's currently drained of most of his magical energy?"

"Pretty much," Greenhart confirmed the situation.

Kenji crossed his arms and closed his eyes for a moment before turning to Greenhart and nodding.

"Then let's go. Take me to O'Reilly. I'm not going to let him leave with Miyako-san!"

* * *

 **Part 3**

"We're almost there."

Greenhart was leading Kenji as the two jumped from rooftop to rooftop, making their way towards O'Reilly's current location. The two had left shortly after finishing the breakfast Nakare had made for them, and had traveled about halfway across District 7.

"We're getting pretty close to where my dorm building is."

Greenhart turned back to look at Kenji and nodded.

"Yeah. We moved around a few times, but once we found out where you were staying, O'Reilly picked a location close by to monitor your actions and choose an ideal time to strike."

Kenji frowned, but said nothing as the two continued to run across the rooftops of District 7. Eventually, they came to a building that was far enough away from the buildings on the other side of the street that it Kenji wouldn't be able to jump across.

Luckily, he didn't need to. Greenhart crouched down and pointed towards a closed-off building across the street.

"We're here. It's that building."

Kenji followed Greenhart's arm until his gaze fell upon an abandoned parking garage across the street. Kenji walked up to where Greenhart was and crouched down next to her to scout out the place.

"So, O'Reilly's there, then?"

The parking garage was a relatively new building that was supposed to utilize a space-efficient lot design, but was never finished and sat awaiting its scheduled date of demolition. Since Kenji lived nearby, he had heard of many rumors regarding the reason it was left unfinished. The rumors ranged from ghost stories to a simple lack of interest for a large parking garage, but the only official documents Kenji could locate simply stated the design of the structure was deemed unsafe due to its lack of internal support pillars.

Regardless of why it was never completed, it was a relatively sturdy, near-finished building that made a perfect location for O'Reilly's plans.

"If I go in before you, O'Reilly will expect me to help him fight you," Greenhart replied, "Also there's a possibility O'Reilly will make the connection between your survival and my absence last night. Instead, I think I'll be better for me to lay low out here."

Kenji nodded, "That's fine. I can take O'Reilly on my own, I just needed you to take me here."

Kenji leaned over the edge of the roof, as though he were planning to leap down. As he leaned forwards, however, he paused and turned back towards Greenhart.

"Wait," he began, "Can you tell me anything about O'Reilly's abilities? I fought him briefly yesterday, but I have no idea what kind of techniques he still has up his sleeve."

Greenhart sighed and shook her head, "Unfortunately, O'Reilly's always send Earthwyrm or myself off to do most of his dirty work. I can't imagine vampire hunter of the Irish Catholic Church wouldn't be accustomed to fighting, but he definitely likes to sit on the sidelines and direct others, when at all possible. Sorry I can't tell you much about his spells."

Kenji's eyes lit up and he grinned, "That's fine, that's all I needed to know, Greenhart!"

Kenji lept off the roof, making sure there was no one around and softening his fall using his Density Shift. As he landed, he immediately began rushing off, but not towards the abandoned parking lot.

"Wait!" Greenhart called from the roof, "Where are you going!?"

Kenji turned back around and smirked, "I never charge into battle without a plan, this time I just need some extra preparation!"

The red-haired Esper turned back around and continued running off, heading in the general direction of Fubushima Academy. As he sprinted, something in his left hand caught the light and glinted brightly as he rushed off to his school.

The object in Kenji's hands was an plastic ID card, but it wasn't his. Instead, the face and name of Nakare Mizuho was printed clearly on the card.

" _I'm sorry, Nakare-sensei… but I'm going to need to borrow a few things from or school's lab…!"_

As the red-haired Esper thought this, he charged down the streets of the shopping district on his way to the school, a plan formulating in his mind.

" _With this, Miyako-san…. I promise I'll save you!"_

* * *

 **Part 4**

In the abandoned parking garage, at the center of the concrete expanse that made up the top floor, sat a lone figure and a box with a glowing array fanning out from a decorative cross on its center.

The magician of the Irish Catholic Church, Brian O'Reilly, opened his eyes to glance at Stoker's Coffin as he sat before it, maintaining a stiff posture as energy visibly radiated around him. It was a cold, dark red energy not unlike the color of blood, matching the glowing runes spread across the surface of the Coffin.

He studied the Coffin's intricate metal adornments carefully, as though there were something in them that only he could see. After a few moments of this, he closed his eyes once more and the radiating glow intensified around him.

The rest of the parking lot looked empty on an initial glance, and it would be hard to blame anyone for thinking it was such. After all, aside from the glowing red light from Stoker's Coffin and the light filtering through the gaps in the walls around the perimeter of the expansive floor.

In such a low light environment, it would be difficult to notice that there was someone else present in the room.

Sitting near the corner of the room, placed against one of the large support pillars that sat in each corner of the structure, was the tied up form of Miyako Mizuki.

The green-haired vampire sat motionless, her eyes closed and her breathing rhythmic as though she were sleeping. In actuality, she was wide awake, but she was bound and gagged and trying to do anything at all would be nearly impossible for her. All struggling would accomplish at this point was letting O'Reilly know that she was awake, which could incite numerous different unsavory reactions from the white-robed man.

In her mind, it was only a matter of time before he finished his ritual and she would find herself inside the coffin.

" _Damn… I really thought coming here would've worked…"_ Miyako thought to herself, referring to her decision to smuggle herself into Academy City in the first place. She had assumed that the Irish Catholic Church would limit their actions within the bounds of the city of science as to avoid upsetting the delicate political balance that the magic side had struck with the science side.

Yet here she was, sitting in the hands of an Irish Catholic magician ready to be hauled off and taken to some cathedral to be studied and treated like an animal, if even that.

Regular vampires were notoriously hard to kill, and while Miyako doubted that she could obtain the same level of regeneration without magic, it meant she could suffer a lot of abuse before she died.

Yet even the idea of that fate was not in the forefront of her mind.

No. Even though she was staring such a cruel fate in the eyes, her mind wandered to thoughts of a certain red-haired Esper.

The last time she saw Kenji, she had just been impaled by O'Reilly. She had no way of knowing he was still alive. In fact, it wasn't unreasonable for her to assume quite the opposite. He had fought O'Reilly, and from her current state she could tell he lost.

She had lost Kenji as well.

At least, that's what she assumed.

With very little warning, a hole about a meter in diameter appeared in the ceiling near the center of the parking garage as concrete dust that once made up the solid roof began floating down and settling on the floor below.

"O'REILLY!"

Even as Miyako lay there, she couldn't help but open her eyes in shock and surprise.

She knew that voice.

Kenji dropped down through the hole in the roof and landed on the ground, immediately moving into a more offensive position. As he held his arms up in loose fists, he cracked his knuckles and glared at O'Reilly with rage burning in his eyes.

O'Reilly lept to his feet and stepped back in alarm, the magic from the unsealing ritual still radiating off his body, rising upwards in slow wisps. The ominous glow made him look intimidating, but when Miyako caught a glimpse of his face, she was surprised by what she saw.

It wasn't like O'Reilly was weak or cowardly in nature. No, any man who could stare down the fearsome creatures known as vampires in battle without running could not be considered a coward.

Even still, the look of pure fear on O'Reilly's face was unmistakable.

"O'Reilly! I've finally found you, you son of a bitch!"

There was something different about Kenji's voice. Something Miyako hadn't detected during his fights with Earthwyrm or Greenhar. It was something almost sinister, like a dark rage that burned beneath Kenji's words as he glared at the white-robed magician.

"You… how did you…!?" O'Reilly spoke, glaring at Kenji dumbfoundedly.

"I'm back from hell, O'Reilly! Here and now, I'll crush you and send you crying back to Ireland empty handed! Miyako Mizuki… I won't give her up to anyone!"

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: Here's the next chapter, right on schedule.**

 **Things are really starting to heat up, and as Volume 1 quickly approaches its climactic finish, I thought I'd let you guys in on how I plan to handle the writing and uploading of Volume 2.**

 **In truth, I've already started Volume 2. In fact, I was more or less finished with Volume 1 before I even started uploading it. Now, things changed a little and I wound up reworking the last couple of chapters, but for the most part I had a near-final draft of the Volume finished before I started uploading. This is to ensure that I have plenty of time to flesh out each chapter in the volume and keep the story consistent. Now, I plan on doing the same thing for Volume 2, so after I finish Volume 1 it may take a short while before I'm back to uploading once a week.  
**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading! As always, I love hearing responses from you guys, so feel free to leave a review and tell me what you guys think. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and for now at least, I'll be back with another one next week!**


	11. Volume 1 Chapter 10 - Final Battle

_**Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership.**_

* * *

 **_VOLUME 1_**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Arakuyo Kenji's Will**

 _ **Final_BATTLE.**_

 **Part 1**

Silence fell upon the top floor of the abandoned parking garage as everyone within sat tense and poised for the battle to come. It was the kind of silence that brought with it an uncomfortable, restless feeling, with both opponent waiting for the other to move first. The sound of clothes rustling and the rubber soles of shoes scraping against the concrete as each person shifted around ever-so-slightly was loud in comparison to the absolute stillness. Not even the sounds of

Academy City in the background were enough to fill the void, echoing faintly as though they were off in the far distance.

Kenji had been in this position countless times, but as he stood here he was all too acutely aware of the sound of his heart beating furiously in his chest.

The red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji had been in a lot of fights. Back when he was in middle school, Kenji would go out every night and pick fights with delinquents and thuggish-looking brutes who hung around the back alleys of District 7. Most of his fights were with people twice his size, and it wasn't rare for him to get ganged up on by multiple thugs at a time.

Needless to say, he lost almost every fight.

At first, his motivations had been to get stronger. Every time he lost, he convinced himself that he was getting just a little better, and waited for the time when he'd pick a fight and come out on top. As long as he believed that, he could continue fighting.

Yet, in all that time, Kenji wasn't accomplishing anything.

Eventually, Kenji came to realize why.

" _Back then… I didn't have anything at stake. Sure, I didn't want to lose, but that's not the same as having to win. If I had something to protect, if I was fighting for some important reason, then I didn't have the option of losing! I absolutely had to win, no matter what! It's only after I started fighting for something else that I was able to start overcoming my limitations. I may still be the same level in regards to my ability, but I'm a hundred times stronger than that kid I used to be!"_

Yet no matter how many times Kenji had stood on the precipice of battle, he couldn't ever remember a time where the stakes were this high.

" _If I lose… Miyako-san will…!"_

Kenji closed his eyes for a brief moment, as if shutting that very idea out.

" _No! I won't lose! For Miyako-san's sake, I absolutely will not lose!"_

With that resolve burning in his heart, Kenji opened his eyes and launched himself forward towards O'Reilly.

O'Reilly shifted his stance immediately, bracing himself as though preparing for Kenji's attack.

Kenji narrowed his eyes and smirked, reeling his arm back and using Density Shift to augment his punch. As Kenji reached O'Reilly, the red-haired Esper swung his arm forward and drove his fist into the air where O'Reilly had been.

" _He… he dodged!?"_

Although the white-robed magician had poised himself for an impact, at the last minute O'Reilly jumped out of the way and darted sideways. Kenji immediately whirled around and jumped backwards as steel chains shot out from O'Reilly's robe's sleeves and struck the ground where he had just been standing.

Kenji crouched low to the ground and once again charged at O'Reilly, this time preparing to hit him low with a sweeping kick and knock him off balance. As he reached the white-robed magician, O'Reilly reacted quickly and jumped over Kenji's attack. With Kenji off-balance and wide open for a counter attack, O'Reilly quickly swung down with his arms and lashed Kenji with the chains from his sleeves.

Kenji wasn't steady enough to correctly dodge the attack, but he managed to stumble out of the way of the incoming chains. The chains struck the concrete beside him and chipped pieces from the floor, casting them into the air like dust. Kenji saw his opening and steadied himself, launching himself forwards while O'Reilly was reeling the chains back in.

O'Reilly's head snapped around to face Kenji and the red-haired Esper could swear he saw the robed man snarl as he held out his other hand. With a flick of his wrist, runes appeared before him and formed into a glowing array, and a familiar weapon materialized in the air.

It was the sharpened pole that O'Reilly used as a spear.

O'Reilly snatched the pole from the air in front of him and swung it at Kenji, halting the Esper's charge in his tracks. The robed magician's sunglasses caught the light filtering in through the hole Kenji had made earlier and glinted ominously.

"I don't know how you survived our fight last night, Esper," O'Reilly began, voice dripping with anger and disgust, "but be assured, you will not leave this place alive. I will not be so careless next time."

At O'Reilly's taunt, the robed magician shifted his weight and lunged towards Kenji with something of a renewed vigor. This action gave Kenji the impression that, for some unspoken reason, O'Reilly had been holding back as though something about Kenji made him uneasy. Their first exchange of blows seemed to be enough to satisfy O'Reilly and quell his fears, for the ominous intent that radiated off of him the day before had returned with a vengeance.

Kenji ducked under O'Reilly's spike as the magician thrust it forwards. Kenji had planned to use his lower stance to execute a sweeping kick to trip O'Reilly up, but the magician had accounted for that. In an instant, O'Reilly brought his leg forward and slammed it against Kenji where he crouched.

Kenji stumbled slightly, but regained his balance in time to watch O'Reilly slam the spiked pole into the ground. A silver array spread out from where the spike pierced the concrete and began to glow brightly underneath Kenji's feet. Kenji reacted quickly and sprang backwards off the ground, narrowly avoiding the numerous spikes that erupted from the array and impaled the air directly in front of him.

Kenji looked through the forest of spikes at where O'Reilly had been standing not a moment before, but the white-robed magician seemed to have disappeared.

This trick again.

Kenji took a few steps back and took a defensive position, awaiting O'Reilly's strike.

It never came.

Kenji had given the spikes a wide berth. There was no way O'Reilly could hit him from within. Yet O'Reilly hadn't even shown himself yet.

Kenji's eyes widened as he realized something and he dodged to the side, whirling around just in time to see O'Reilly appear behind him and thrust his polearm forwards. O'Reilly managed to adjust the trajectory of the spiked pole and narrowly grazed Kenji's cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.

Kenji wasted no time moving in for a counter attack. He kicked off the ground and lunged forward before the white-robed magician could reel his weapon back in to block. As he reached O'Reilly, he wound up for a punch and drove his fist directly into the magician's face, knocking him back forcefully.

It was the first direct hit Kenji had landed on O'Reilly, and the white-robed magician didn't seem to be taking it too well.

For a moment, O'Reilly stood there, hunched over with a hand to his face as the other one held his weapon loosely. The white-robed magician held his position as though he were frozen, with his head tilted back and his eyes towards the ceiling.

"Damn… damn… damn… you…"

O'Reilly slowly brought his head forward, a manic grin plastered across the magician's face. His lip was split and a thin line of blood trickled down over his chin and dripped onto his clean robes, staining them with a small red dot.

"I've faced vampires who've landed less hits upon me. You, Esper… you…."

O'Reilly paused, tightening his grip on his weapon and straightening himself up before taking a single step towards the red-haired Esper. He then took another one, and began making his way over to where Kenji stood, getting within half a meter of the Esper.

"You are incredibly lucky."

Kenji imagined it was very rare for O'Reilly to voluntarily put himself in such a direct and up-close position with his opponents, especially considering most of the spells he had seen involve using traps or illusions to trick opponents. Yet that only made Kenji more nervous. O'Reilly wasn't foolish. He wouldn't get so close if he wasn't confident he could still utterly crush Kenji with his spells.

"Now, Esper, I'll finish you off swiftly, and finish up here."

Kenji smirked despite his wariness. As long as the white-robed magician continued to pour strength into the unsealing ritual, Kenji still had an advantage. After all, even unarmed, Kenji was best at close-quarters combat. Like this, O'Reilly was keeping himself within the Esper's effective range.

"You can say that after I'm dead, O'Reilly. It would look pretty sad if you said all that and then I kicked your ass, you know?"

O'Reilly smirked, "You'd need to show me your full power to even stand a chance of beating me."

" _Full power? Oh… he's talking about that strange clarity I felt yesterday fighting Earthwyrm. Yeah, I wish I had that power right about now... If only I knew how to control it!"_

Caught up in the thought of the spontaneous boost in abilities he had experienced the day before, Kenji hesitated long enough to let O'Reilly strike first. The white-robed magician swung his pole-arm forwards and tried to drive it into Kenji's side.

Kenji reacted quickly, stepping backwards and narrowly avoiding O'Reilly's attack. As the weapon swung past him, the Esper ducked underneath and charged at the magician, reeling his arm back for another punch.

O'Reilly anticipated the counterattack and stepped to the right, allowing Kenji's punch to dart right past him. Before Kenji could recover, O'Reilly swung the pole like a staff and slammed it into Kenji's side, causing the Esper to stagger sideways. O'Reilly immediately followed up by readjusting his grip on his weapon and slamming the blunt end of the pole into Kenji's stomach.

Kenji doubled over and coughed, blood sputtering up his throat and trickling down the side of his mouth as he stumbled backward. O'Reilly immediately moved to follow up with yet another attack, but Kenji was ready for it. Recovering quickly, the red-haired Esper ducked under O'Reilly's next swing and swung his arm at O'Reilly.

The white-robed magician tried to dodge, but Kenji had anticipated and adjusted his attack to strike O'Reilly's arm. As his fist connected with O'Reilly's shoulder, a loud crack echoed through the mostly empty parking garage and the magician stumbled back. As O'Reilly reached up and grasped his shoulder in pain, Kenji stepped back and whirled around to deliver a strong roundhouse kick to O'Reilly's side.

The magician stumbled backwards and barred his teeth at Kenji, as though he were snarling. O'Reilly shot forwards, wielding his weapon in his good arm, and thrust it forwards towards Kenji. The red-haired Esper sidestepped to avoid the attack, but O'Reilly was anticipating his dodge. The ground beneath Kenji's feet once again lit up with a glowing array, and chains whipped around Kenji's legs, pinning him in place.

"Tch…!"

Kenji looked over at O'Reilly, only to find the white-robed magician poised to impale him once more.

"I have you now, Esper!"

Instead of panicking, Kenji closed his eyes and concentrated. Just as O'Reilly stabbed forwards with the polearm, a hole opened up beneath Kenji's feet and the Esper fell, ducking underneath the magician's strike.

"W-What!?"

The chains around Kenji caught him and suspended him just below the hole, still anchored to O'Reilly's array. The trap shifted colors from a light silver to a dark red, and the chains retracted to reel the Esper back in. As Kenji felt the chains draw him up, he slipped out from their grasp and dropped down to the floor below, leaving O'Reilly standing alone in the floor above him.

The white-robed magician cursed and looked around the mostly vacant floor with apprehension. Kenji now had the upper hand. O'Reilly had no way of knowing where or how the red-haired Esper would make his move.

"He wouldn't run away," O'Reilly spoke aloud to himself, voice barely above a whisper, "The vampire's still huddled over there in the corner. He wouldn't leave her behind… he intends to finish this as swiftly as I do."

O'Reilly sat silently, continuing to watch the floor beneath him for any signs that Kenji was about to attack. As he waited, he took a few steps back from his original position. Unless Kenji had some way of knowing where O'Reilly was, his attack would hit the air where O'Reilly had been standing harmlessly.

Suddenly, a small can of something came shooting up from the hole in the ground where Kenji had disappeared, letting out a thick smoke and impeding O'Reilly's vision. O'Reilly tried to jump out of the smokescreen, but it seemed that the smoke grenade Kenji had used was more potent than the magician anticipated.

Blinded by the smoke and angry that Kenji had managed to catch him by surprise, O'Reilly slammed his pole into the ground angrily, filling the area around the smoke screen with spikes to impale the Esper wherever he was hiding.

As O'Reilly cast the spell, he felt himself waver, clutching the metal pole for support as he regained his balance.

"Getting tired already?"

O'Reilly's eyes widened as he heard Kenji's voice from immediately behind him. The magician whirled around quickly, only to be met with a heavy punch straight to the jaw. O'Reilly's head was pushed to the side and his sunglasses flew off his face, skidding across the ground and coming to a stop a few meters away.

"That smoke bomb… you…"

"Like it?" Kenji grinned smugly, "Let's just say I borrowed it. You have so many tricks up your sleeve, but I bet you didn't expect me to have one of my own!"

Now that O'Reilly's eyes were exposed, Kenji could see the anger searing in the man's fierce red eyes.

"ENOUGH!"

O'Reilly readjusted his grip on the spiked pole and pulled it out of the ground. He swung it a few times tentatively before pointing it directly at Kenji.

"I've… I've had enough of you!"

Behind the white-robed magician, the glowing array on Stoker's Coffin faded away and disappeared. The red aura that had surrounded O'Reilly for the whole fight also faded, and he flexed his arms lightly.

"Yes… that's much better…"

" _He's not diverting any energy into the unsealing ritual… that means he's going to come at me with everything he has!"_

O'Reilly's eyes gleamed in the dim light of the parking garage as he swung his pole over his head like a staff. As the white-robed magician raised his arms, multiple arrays appeared in the air above him.

"It's over, Esper!"

Large, circular razor blades shot forth from the glowing runes floating above O'Reilly's head, aimed directly for Kenji. Each blade was spinning on an axis attached to long, snaking chains, and O'Reilly was manipulating them in the air with his hands.

Kenji dodged the first blade, which bit into the concrete below him and cast off glowing red sparks as it dug into the hard floor. Kenji ducked underneath the next two blades, one nearly missing him and cutting a small slit in the collar of his shirt.

The next two blades forced Kenji to dodge by stepping back, one hitting the ground near his feet and the other nearly digging into his shoulder as it whirled past.

O'Reilly flicked his wrist and the chains of the blades that had missed their target were pulled taught, and the blades were pulled back towards him.

"How long can you keep this up, Esper? You can't hit me from back there, can you?"

"Tch…"

Kenji glared at O'Reilly, but the magician wasn't wrong. It would be hard for Kenji to slip past O'Reilly's attacks, and charging him directly was way too risky. Any one of those blades could cause Kenji some serious problems.

Kenji looked over at the deep hole the first blade had dug into the concrete next to him, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

"Heh, what's the matter, Esper," O'Reilly taunted, a disturbingly manic grin spreading across his face, "Where's all that confidence you had before?"

Without waiting or a response, O'Reilly flicked his wrist once more and the blades once again launched forwards towards the red-haired Esper. Kenji instantly broke out into a run, hoping to circle around so he could close the distance from a safe position.

The first and second blades shot harmlessly past Kenji, and for an instant Kenji thought he was safe. However, instead of digging into the concrete behind him like last time, the blades immediately swung around and began chasing Kenji like heat-seeking missiles.

" _Y-you've gotta be kidding!"_

The two blades were soon joined by the other three, and soon all five blades where chasing Kenji down. Kenji ducked low to see if he could get the blades to strike the ground and get stuck, but with O'Reilly guiding the blades himself, Kenji realized he was wasting his time.

" _Tch… this is a pain… gotta think of something fast!"_

Kenji's eyes lit up and the red-haired Esper grinned before turning on his heels and charging directly towards O'Reilly. At first, the blades continued to chase him like nothing had happened, but then one by one each blade slowed down and broke off the closer Kenji got.

" _I was right! O'Reilly wouldn't dare to keep his blades chasing me with us so close! Now's my chance to close the distance and-"_

Even though Kenji had outsmarted O'Reilly's attack, the white-robed magician was still smiling. In fact, it almost looked like he was ready to burst out laughing any second now.

"W-what!?"

O'Reilly stepped aside to reveal a sixth array immediately behind him. The instant he stepped out of the way, a sixth blade shot out at Kenji. The red-haired Esper instinctively raised his arms to block the attack, and the blade struck his right forearm, digging into his flesh and scraping against bone.

Kenji cried out in pain and stumbled backwards, landing on the ground and letting the blade fall out of his arm and onto the ground beside him. In that instant, another one of Kenji's blades shot forwards and struck Kenji in the side, digging into the Esper's flesh and causing Kenji to cry out in pain.

O'Reilly laughed triumphantly as he flicked his wrist once more, sending all blades back into their respective arrays before the arrays themselves dispersed. As O'Reilly ended the spell, he readjusted his grip in his spiked pole and stepped towards Kenji ominously.

"I'll finish you off myself."

Kenji cursed as he crouched on the ground, grasping his arm as blood poured from his injuries.

" _Damnit…. I was careless…"_

O'Reilly reached Kenji and looked down at him, brandishing his weapon and grinning almost sadistically.

"I'll strike your heart this time. Make sure you actually die."

O'Reilly turned to look at the corner where Miyako lay.

"Foolish, vile creature…" O'Reilly spat, "To enchant a human to this extent… I will make sure she knows true despair."

The white-robed magician readied his spiked pole and drew it back, ready to impale Kenji through the heart.

"Now DIE!"

Just as O'Reilly shouted, however, A powerful beam of light burst through the wall and slammed into the white-robed magician. O'Reilly stumbled backwards as he was caught in the attack, falling backwards and using his polearm to regain his balance. As he stopped, a glowing array appeared underneath him and erupted into a cylindrical wall of light, imprisoning him where he stood.

"My apologies, O'Reilly," a familiar voice rang out as a figure stepped through the new hole in the wall of the parking garage, "but I can't let you kill that Esper."

O'Reilly's eyes widened before his whole face contorted into an expression of extreme rage.

"Greenhart…. Y...you…. you…. YOU TRAITOROUS HARLOT!"

"Oho?" Greenhart arched an eyebrow at the imprisoned magician, smirking, "Traitor, you say? How dumb could you get? I was never working with you to begin with, remember? You and your shitty church forced me into working with you!"

O'Reilly snarled at Greenhart from behind the wall of light, "Greenhart… that 'grimoire' of yours… Are you telling me you do not value it?"

"I've analyzed this destruction spell, O'Reilly," Greenhart replied, "You can't activate this spell without a remote catalyst. With you trapped in there, I can search for the spell's source at my leisure."

O'Reilly grinned, "Have you truly underestimated me that much? If you've truly analyzed that spell, then you know the catalyst can be something small…"

O'Reilly reached into his robes and produced a small red crystal tied to a black string like a necklace.

Greenhart's eyes widened and she brought the spellbook up to her chest, as though that would somehow protect it from the destruction spell bound to it.

O'Reilly saw this and grinned.

"Now, Greenhart, I'm not unreasonable," O'Reilly replied calmly, "Do exactly as I say, and I will spare that precious tome of yours."

Greenhart hesitated a moment before nodding begrudgingly, and O'Reilly smiled.

"First, dispel this annoying light prison you've trapped me in."

In an instant, the prison faded and O'Reilly stretched his arms out to make sure it was gone.

"Good. Now, kill the Esper for…"

O'Reilly turned to where he had left Kenji and trailed off when he noticed that the Esper was no longer there. O'Reilly began looking around frantically, trying to locate Kenji before he got the jump on him.

As O'Reilly turned his head, he caught a quick glimpse of the red-haired Esper as he charged at him. The white-robed magician's eyes widened as Kenji reached him and landed a heavy punch to his gut.

While O'Reilly staggered from the powerful strike, Kenji grabbed the red catalyst in his hands and held it up for the blonde-haired witch to see.

"Greenhart, catch!" Kenji yelled, tossing the crystal towards her.

Greenhart snatched the crystal as it flew towards her and grinned, tossing it to the ground and crushing it underneath her heal. As she did, her grimoire glowed with a faint red glow as the destruction runes etched into its bindings faded away.

O'Reilly recovered from the strike and looked Kenji over in shock. The injuries that had nearly spelt his defeat earlier were gone.

"You… how did you…!?"

Kenji grinned, reaching into his pants pocket and producing a small vial from within. It was the potion made from vampire extract that Greenhart had used on him the day before. Before the battle, she had given him the vial in case anything went wrong.

"You…" O'Reilly began, glaring at Greenhart indignantly, "You already knew I had the catalyst on me… you… you two planned all of this!"

O'Reilly stumbled backwards, looking from Kenji to Greenhart and back nervously.

"Now," Greenhart interjected, "It looks like the tables have turned, O'Reilly."

The blonde-haired witch turned to Kenji and nodded, taking a step back as if she were motioning for him to finish the fight.

Kenji nodded back before he turned his attention to the white-robed magician. The Esper's expression darkened and he began walking towards O'Reilly, glaring him down with every slow, purposeful step.

"You chased Miyako to the ends of the earth just for your own gains…"

Another step, and O'Reilly felt himself start to back up.

"You came to the heart of Academy City just to search for her…"

O'Reilly took another step backwards as Kenji closed the distance between them, fire burning in his eyes.

"You even got me involved, and tried to kill me…"

O'Reilly kept backing up until his legs brushed up against Stoker's Coffin and he nearly stumbled.

Kenji continued stepping towards him and came to a stop right in front of him. Even though O'Reilly was taller, he somehow felt like Kenji was still standing above him looking down.

"There's only one thing left for me to do, and that's to send you crawling back to Ireland with your tail between your legs!"

Kenji slammed his foot into the side of O'Reilly's left knee and cracked the bones that made up O'Reilly's knee joint. The white-robed magician let out a cry of pain as he collapsed, his left leg barely able to support his weight anymore.

"You can't run away now, O'Reilly," Kenji noted, "This ends here!"

As Kenji stepped forwards once more, ready finish the fight with O'Reilly then and there, the coffin behind the white-robed magician began to glow bright red. The light first appeared as the runes that had once covered the coffin for the unsealing ritual, but quickly spread over the entire surface. After the light had engulfed the coffin entirely, it began to fade and the sound of an old metal latch clicking open echoed through the parking garage.

O'Reilly looked at the coffin behind him and began to laugh.

"Ha… hahaha…. Ha…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!"

As O'Reilly laughed, he stumbled forwards and Kenji took a tentative step back. The white-robed magician glared up at Kenji and smiled triumphantly as she clutched his head with his hands in

a deranged manner.

"It's over… I've won! You shitty Esper, I've finally won!"

O'Reilly's body began to glow and the white-robed magician stood up straight, putting weight on the leg that was supposed to be injured. He moved his knee around a little before giving his leg a test jump, his face betraying not the slightest bit of pain.

Kenji grit his teeth as O'Reilly grinned maniacally, glaring at him and laughing.

"Greenhart told you, didn't she? Up until this point, I was pouring a significant portion of my energy into the unsealing ritual… but now that Stoker's Coffin is open, I can finish you both off at my leisure…. but first…"

O'Reilly swung his arm and metal chains shot forth from his sleeves. Yet he was not aiming for Kenji. The chains flew through the air over the corner of the room and snatched up the bound figure of Miyako Mizuki before reeling themselves back in and leaving O'Reilly hunched over with the vampire in his clutches.

The green-haired vampire opened her eyes, having been paying attention to the whole battle silently from where she lay. She glared daggers at her captor, but in the state she was in, there was nothing she could do.

"Once I place the vampire in Stoker's Coffin, neither of you will be able to unseal it again. Even if I were to somehow lose after this, the only ones able to unseal her would be members of the Irish Catholic Church. Either way, I've won."

Kenji knew he was right. Greenhart had told him she was unable to perform the unsealing ritual, and Kenji wasn't exactly keen on his chances of running into another magician in a place like Academy City. If O'Reilly were to put Miyako in the coffin, it would be all over regardless of whether they won or lost.

Yet the look on Kenji's face was not one of defeat.

Kenji let out what sounded more like an exasperated sigh, "Damn… I was really hoping I wouldn't have to do this…"

The red-haired Esper paused to reach into his pocket, producing something that looked like a remote switch. As he held it out in front of him, O'Reilly's eyes widened as he seemed to realize what it was for.

Strapped to the outside of the building, running up along one of the corner support structures, were numerous small metal rectangles that did not look entirely unlike bombs. Yet rather than explosives, each bomb was constructed from the power supplies of the repurposed security robots from Kenji's school.

The smoke bomb was not the only thing he had "borrowed" from the Development Lab.

Kenji pressed the button and a loud shockwave rattled the parking garage. Before long, the whole building began to creak, and the sound of concrete cracking and crumbling could be heard growing closer.

The shockwave caused O'Reilly to stagger and release Miyako. Kenji immediately stepped forwards and caught her, removing her gag and using his ability to quickly remove her bindings.

"Arakuyo-san…" Miyako replied weakly.

Before Kenji could respond, the whole building began shaking around them, and he smiled as he caught the glimpse of pure shock and confusion plastered across the white-robed magician's face.

"Haven't you noticed, O'Reilly?" Kenji asked, "This parking garage is completely empty. There aren't even any support pillars between the floors."

The red-haired Esper pointed over to one of the four corners of the building.

"This building uses a special internal support structure to keep its floors from collapsing under their own weight without pillars. They designed it like that to save space, but they deemed it too dangerous to use and closed it down before it even opened."

Kenji smirked.

"With all that weight being shifted to the supports in each corner, I wonder what would happen if you took out one of the four structures?"

O'Reilly's face twisted into disgusting mix of seething anger and utter disbelief. The floor beneath him began to lean slowly to one side as the building began to collapse underneath him.

Kenji turned to Miyako and Greenhart and nodded, "Let's go!"

The two nodded back and began making their way for the stairwell, leaving O'Reilly standing in the middle of the collapsing floor with Stoker's Coffin right behind him. With Kenji leading the way, the three made their way to the stairwell and Kenji turned right.

"Arakuyo-san," Miyako replied worryingly, "These are the stairs to the roof!"

Kenji nodded, "We'll never make it out of here if we run all the way to the first floor! Once we're on the roof we can jump across to a nearby building!"

Miyako nodded and followed after him, with Greenhart coming right up behind her. The three leapt up the stairs and made it out into the open, but by that point the whole roof had already started leaning to one side. As the three ran up the slight incline, Miyako began to struggle and stumbled into Greenhart.

"Hey," Greenhart called out, "Watch it!"

"Sorry," Miyako replied, "I guess I'm kind of weak after having been tied up that whole time…"

Kenji sighed.

"I guess it can't be helped, then."

Without warning, the red-haired Esper snatched up Miyako, with one of his arms supporting her back and shoulders and the other arm just under her knees. Miyako let out a squeak of surprise and looked up at Kenji.

"W-w-what do you think you're doing!?"

"We don't have time to argue," Kenji replied, breaking out in a run towards the roof of a nearby department store.

Kenji noticed he was fighting a harsher and harsher incline as he approached the edge of the roof. The green-haired vampire wasn't particularly heavy, but Kenji was worried with the added weight he wouldn't be able to clear his way over to the building.

Just as he was thinking this, Greenhart rushed past him and leapt across the building herself, turning around to see if Kenji was able to make it.

By the time he reached the edge of the roof, it was already starting to fall in on itself. Kenji kicked off the edge of the roof with all his strength and lunged for the building on the other side, but halfway through the jump he realized he was coming up a bit short.

"Arakuyo-san!"

Kenji looked up to see Greenhart reaching her hand out towards him. Kenji nodded and looked down at Miyako.

"Quick, hold on to me!"

Miyako nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck and clinging to him, allowing Kenji to reach out towards Greenhart's outstretched arm.

Kenji and Greenhart were able to lock arms together before Kenji fell, leaving him and Miyako dangling over the edge of the building with Greenhart holding them up. Greenhart pulled the both of them up far enough for them to grab hold of the edge of the building and pull themselves up the rest of the way.

After the three were once again on solid ground, Kenji turned back towards the collapsed building. There was no sign of O'Reilly or the Stoker's Coffin anywhere.

As the dust settled, Kenji let out a long sigh and turned towards Miyako, flashing her a huge smile.

"It's finally over…"

"Thank you, Arakuyo… no… I should call you Kenji-san," Miyako replied, casting a sincere smile towards Kenji.

"I'm glad you're okay, Miya-er… Mizuki-san…" Kenji replied, not accustomed to saying her given name yet.

Greenhart crossed her arms and sighed, frowning slightly, "I hate to interrupt your moment, but what do you mean 'over'? The Irish Catholic Church isn't going to give up so easily. All you've done is made them mad…"

The green-haired vampire glared angrily at Greenhart and the blonde-haired witch sighed again.

"Geez, I was just warning you. Well, I suppose I should feel partially responsible. After all, even though my hands were tied, I was hunting you down too…"

Miyako nodded silently, though there was still a hint of some suspicion in her eyes.

Greenhart looked down, noticing there was quite a substantial crowd gathering around the base of the fallen parking garage. Off in the distance, the sound of Anti-Skill sirens sounded as emergency vehicles sped towards their location.

"Sounds like people are starting to notice. I think that's our cue to leave."

Kenji nodded, turning towards the fire escape to climb down with Mizuki. Greenhart turned a different way, presumably to jump off across the rooftops, and the red-haired Esper called out after her.

"Greenhart! You were in Academy City because of O'Reilly, but now that you have your grimoire, where are you going to go now?"

Greenhart shrugged, "Who knows. Maybe I'll enjoy the freedom the Irish Catholic Church stole from me for all those years and travel the world for the hell of it…"

The blonde-haired witch paused and looked out across Academy City, taking in the sights the cityscape had to offer.

"Or who knows, maybe I'll stick around here for a bit."

Kenji nodded, "Well, thanks for all the help, Greenhart. I hope whatever you decide to do that we'll meet again."

Greenhart nodded silently, and Kenji turned around, making his way over to the fire escape and climbing down with Mizuki. As she watched the red-haired Esper disappear, she allowed herself a small smile.

"Oh, I have no doubt we'll meet again, Arakuyo Kenji."

With that, Greenhart opened up her spellbook recited a simple spell. Instantly, her body was engulfed in a bright light. When the light dispersed and faded, all traces of the blonde-haired witch had vanished, and the rooftop was completely empty.

* * *

 **Part 2**

By the time Kenji and Mizuki successfully made it back to their dorm, the sun was already starting to go down. Mizuki had opted to take a much needed shower after a day of being tied up on the floor of a parking garage, and Kenji was all too keen on getting some sleep after the tiresome fight.

As the two sat down to eat dinner at the small table in Kenji's dorm room, they watched the sky outside Kenji's small window turn from the brilliant orange of sunset to the deep bluish black of night. For the most part, they ate in silence, surprisingly little to say between them after the experience over the past three days.

It was Mizuki who finally broke the silence, still looking a bit hesitant and unsure of herself as she sat across from Kenji at the other end of the table.

"You know," Mizuki began, her voice almost a whisper. Even though she was speaking softly, the relative silence around them meant Kenji had no problems hearing her, "Things are only going to get rougher from here."

Kenji looked over at her, mouth full of yakisoba bread and eyes filled with confusion as she caught him off guard "Hmm?"

"You heard what Greenhart said… Now that we've defeated O'Reilly, the Irish Catholic Church is only going to become more determined to capture me. Things are really just getting started."

Kenji sighed, giving him time to clear his mouth before responding.

"Mizuki," Kenji spoke, looking out across the table directly at her. The green-haired vampire almost wanted to shudder under his strong gaze, his amber eyes filled with determination and his face hardened and serious.

"I've said it before, haven't I? I'm not going to let any of those bastards take you away! I don't care how many people come after you. I'll beat down anyone who doesn't get the hint! I won't let them take you away, Mizuki, so stop worrying about it and relax."

For some reason, after everything that happened today, hearing Kenji say that made Mizuki truly believe he was telling the truth. For the first time since they had returned, Mizuki allowed herself to relax as she leaned forwards slightly, placing her arm on the table and leaning her head on her hand contently.

"H-hey! Don't do that so suddenly!"

Mizuki had closed her eyes, but as soon as she heard Kenji freak out her eyes shot open again and she looked across the table at Kenji curiously.

"What's wrong?"

Kenji averted his gaze and Mizuki could swear the faintest hints of a blush were teasing at his cheeks.

"Uhm… You're um… leaning forwards…"

Mizuki's eyes widened and she looked down, only to notice the v-neck she was wearing was loose enough to show considerable cleavage when leaning forwards.

Mizuki frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, "Geez, I didn't think you were such a pervert, looking at my chest like that!"

Kenji, absolutely refusing to look at her, frowned, "S-sorry! I didn't mean to, you just kind of-!"

Before Kenji could finish, Mizuki had made her way over towards him and smiled.

"You shouldn't be so embarrassed, it's not like you really saw anything, right?"

Mizuki crept closer to the red-haired Esper and he began to back up little by little.

"O-of course not! It just caught me off guard, you know!"

Mizuki smiled, "Oh, is that so? What if I gave you a P-E-E-K?"

Kenji's face lit up like fireworks and he backed up all the way until his back was pressed against the wall.

"H-hey, you're not actually going to-"

Mizuki smirked, "Ha! As if! I'm just hungry, you know!"

"Wait! Wait just a minute, Mizuki!"

Mizuki leaned over Kenji entirely and whispered into his ear, "You know, you can start calling me Mizuki if you want."

"But I, uhm…!"

"Thanks for the food, Kenji-kun!" Mizuki replied teasingly.

Kenji knew what was coming, but he still wasn't any more prepared for it than he had been last time. Kenji looked over at Mizuki as she sunk her fangs into his neck and once again the red-haired Esper let out a shout towards the night sky as he sat on the floor of his apartment in defeat.

Outside, the silent streets and darkened buildings of District 7 gave no response as the summer night crawled on at a steady and uncaring pace. Perhaps Mizuki was right, and even now the Irish Catholic Church was preparing to send yet more magicians to Academy City to capture her.

Yet now, it seemed that even if that were the case, the city would stand there, unknowing and uncaring to the chaos amongst its buildings and within its bounds. The city's buildings standing ever so calmly as night turned to day and day to night.

And even as Kenji was letting Mizuki drink his blood, one thought echoed in his mind louder than all others.

" _The Irish Catholic Church is going to send more magicians here? That's fine… let them come."_

- _ **VOLUME 1 END-**_

* * *

 **AN: Here you guys go! The final chapter of A Certain Unusual Vampire Volume 1!**

 **As I've mentioned last week, I am going to be taking a short break from uploading. Now, before you guys freak out, this doesn't mean I'm going to be taking a break from writing. Quite the opposite in fact. The only reason I'm not going to be uploading for a bit is because I'm going to be working hard on finishing Volume 2's rough draft. I know it's an unconventional way of doing things here on fanfiction, but it's necessary to maintain the quality and consistency of the story.**

 **For those worried that I'm going to abandon this story; don't worry. This fanfiction has been a rather large part of my life for the past few years, going through multiple iterations and drafts before I finally have something I feel is worth writing and continuing. I really hope you guys will bear with me while I go off to finish Volume 2's draft, and will patiently await Volume 2's prologue chapter! I'm going to use this here story for all future volumes, so don't worry about missing Volume 2's first update.**

 **Anyway, Thank you for sticking through Volume 1. I hope you all thoroughly enjoyed the story so far, and I hope you will continue to enjoy the future volumes to come. I really enjoy seeing your reviews and receiving feedback, so feel free to share your thoughts. Anyway, Thanks for reading, and while I won't be back next week, I'll be back with Volume 2 very soon.**


	12. Volume 2 Prologue - New Fangs

**AN: I usually put these at the end, but I'm making a specific exception for this particular chapter. Mostly because this particular chapter is very, VERY overdue. I said I was taking a short break between volumes, but one thing turned into another, life got in the way, and it's been far too long since I posted the last chapter to just slap this one up without any explanation. In truth, I had the least amount of ideas going into this volume in particular. Writer's block and a lack of motivation to write this volume in particular delayed the writing process even further, and the pace at which I wound up writing this volume was appallingly slow.**

 **However, I will assure you that I have a lot, and I mean A LOT more ideas for my next volume, so after I upload the entirety of Volume 2, I'll really only be taking a short break before uploading Volume 3 (honest this time). Anyway, without further ado, here's the long-overdue prologue to Volume 2. Since this one is naturally a bit shorter, I'll be posting Chapter 1 tomorrow, after which I will return to a weekly posting schedule much like the first volume (which means Fridays this time). Enjoy, and remember, reviews are always appreciated!**

* * *

 ** _Disclaimer: To Aru Majutsu no Index and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are all the intellectual property of Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works, and I claim no ownership._**

 ** _Any similarities to real life persons or situations is purely coincidental. This is a purely fictitious work._**

* * *

 **_Volume 2_**

 **Prologue**

 **Darkness**

 _ **New_FANGS.**_

"Hey! You brats! Get back here!"

The sound of panting and pounding footsteps echoed through the dark alleyways of District 7 as an unfamiliar woman chased after a couple of thuggish-looking delinquents.

The woman, who looked to be in her thirties, was dressed in very iconic attire for the citizens of Academy City. It would be hard to mistake the dark blue combat suit and the bulletproof vest she wore over it for anything other than one of _their_ uniforms, but the unmistakable emblem across her chest would leave no room for doubt.

This woman was an officer of Anti-Skill.

"I said get back here! Don't you know what 'under arrest' means!?"

The woman knew she was doing little more than wasting her breath on two hopeless, petty criminals, but she was so irreconcilably _pissed_ that she had to chase them down in the first place that she couldn't help but yell at them. It took every ounce of her being to keep her from destroying any air of professionalism she had left and shouting obscenities at them through the city's backstreets.

" _SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!"_ the woman cursed mentally, " _I can't believe this shit! First the higher-ups work us half to death investigating that shitty parking garage incident, and the first night I'm back on regular patrol, I run into two damn brats who make me chase them through the whole damn city!"_

As the two thuggish oafs before her lumbered their way through the labyrinthine network of alleys and walkways that seemed to make up an entirely different world in the bowels of a bright and clean city, they made their way to a chain-link fence with a hole large enough to squeeze through one at a time.

On the other side of the fence was an antiquated building that had clearly been abandoned years ago. It was probably a remnant of the many projects Academy City had started and subsequently abandoned, now little more than a husk standing in wait for someone to either purchase and revitalize it or demolish it completely.

From her extensive knowledge of the area that was a prerequisite for her job, the Anti-Skill officer recalled that the building had been something of a small refinery designed to produce high tech alloys and substances for the city's research. However, once the city decided to group all the production facilities in District 17, the refinery was deemed unnecessary and abandoned. At the same time, it meant that the entire building was windowless and built with the purpose of housing large, automated machinery. There wouldn't be many places for the two to hide once they entered.

Still, it wasn't like the Anti-Skill officer expected either of the thuggish rejects to know about the building in the first place. Even if by some happenstance they did know about the internal layout of the structure, she didn't really expect them to care too much. Her suspicions were more or less confirmed when the two petty criminals slithered through the gap in the fence and disappeared into the darkness of the open entryway.

"Tch," the woman scoffed, staring up at the barrier in front of her. She glared at the fence in a mixture of frustration and deep thought, as though contemplating whether squeezing through the fence just to nab the two delinquents was even remotely worth it.

In the end, the Anti-Skill officer let out an exasperated sigh and squeezed clumsily through the small hole in chain-link fence. As she passed through, part of her sleeve pressed up against a jagged edge of one of the broken wires, ripping through her uniform and scratching across her arm painfully.

The woman cursed and looked down, noticing a rather shallow cut that ran just deep enough to draw blood poking through the tear in the arm of her bodysuit. Still, she had come this far, and she was already late for the end of her patrol. If she showed up back at the station empty-handed, she was worried her boss would think she was slacking off instead of doing her job properly.

"Damn those brats," she mumbled under her breath, a look of irritation clear as day on her face, "If they think they're getting off easy after this-"

The woman stopped talking abruptly when one of the delinquents came barreling out of the abandoned building in a blind panic. Running at full speed and without looking, he slammed right into the Anti-Skill officer he had been running from.

No, it didn't seem accidental. The boy who had been running away from her like a petty criminal moments before was now attempting to cling to her like a kid clinging to his mother.

After all he had put her through, the Anti-Skill officer was not about to take that standing down.

"Get the hell off me!" She yelled, grabbing the delinquent and pinning him to the ground in one swift motion.

Instead of struggling to escape, the delinquent on the ground began looking towards the entrance way of the building with a terrified expression.

"T-there… there's s-something in there!"

The Anti-Skill officer sighed and looked over at the entrance way of the building before turning her attention back to the delinquent pinned to the ground.

"Yeah right. I know how this works. You run out, convince me to investigate the building, then your cheeky friend pops out from just behind the entrance way and-"

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

The terrified scream came from somewhere within the building, and while the Anti-Skill officer was unfamiliar with the two delinquents she had chased down, it was not entirely out of the realm of possibility that the scream had in fact been the other escapee.

It occurred to the woman that there very well might be something in the building after all.

At this thought, the woman gulped audibly.

"Alright you! Stay put!"

The Anti-Skill officer grabbed the delinquent's arms and handcuffed them behind his back before standing up. The delinquent, who was so keen on escaping moments earlier, merely nodded and sat up in the dirt, a worried look plastered across his face.

The woman took a few tentative steps towards the building, reaching for her flashlight as she approached the dark entrance way of the building. The windowless structure of the building meant that, even for abandoned buildings go, this particular building was almost pitch black inside. As she pointed her flashlight into the sea of darkness, she caught sight of what looked like a completely empty abandoned factory. Taking no chances, she approached the entrance way from an angle and pressed her back up against the outside right edge of the entrance way.

Ensuring that the inside left edge of the entrance way was clear of any would-be delinquent ambushes, the woman moved across to the left in order to check the right side. Only after had she ensured both sides were clear did she bother entering the old refinery at all.

Because the building had been shut down so early in its development, the ground floor was entirely devoid of the large machines necessary for refining. This made it incredibly easy for the Anti-Skill officer to scan back and forth through the entire building, looking for the second delinquent, as well as anything else that might be lurking in the shadows. As she swung her flashlight back and forth, using the beam of light to cut through the darkness that surrounded her, she caught something out of the corner of her eyes.

Swinging her whole body around to face it, she shined her light on a large, antique wooden box with intricate silver adornments and a very distinct shape.

"A… A coffin!?"

The woman gulped once more and began taking slow, cautious steps towards the intricate coffin. The rest of the abandoned building was empty. There was simply nowhere else to hide in the entire refinery outside of the box before her.

"This better not be some damn prank," the woman yelled angrily, though she was sure she was too far into the building to be heard by the delinquent outside. Perhaps she had intended to unnerve the second delinquent under the assumption he was lying in the coffin in wait, ready to jump out the second she got close.

As the woman got closer and closer to the coffin, she noticed something rather odd. The lid of the coffin appeared to be hinged and attached directly to the box, but instead of resting flush in a fully closed position, the lid of the coffin was slightly ajar. There didn't appear to be anything holding the lid up, at least from the outside, meaning that there was probably someone inside peeking out.

The Anti-Skill officer frowned to herself and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Very funny. You know if you had come quietly you'd have probably gotten off light."

The woman made her way directly before the coffin and grabbed the lid, throwing it open and looking into it with mild irritation.

Her expression immediately changed to one of shock as she laid eyes on the cloudy-eyed corpse of the second delinquent she had been chasing around the city. His body was deformed, shriveled up and wrinkled as though something had sucked all the moisture from his body. His face was frozen in an expression of pure terror, and his wrists were bruised as though he had been forcibly restrained.

Her hand immediately shot up to her mouth as she suppressed a loud gasp, and she recalled the utter terror of the handcuffed delinquent outside.

 _"What the hell!? What did this?"_

The woman's hand immediately shot to her radio as she turned around to evacuate the abandoned building. If whatever it was that was in here had the power to drain the fluids out of someone with some sort of ability, she would need backup.

"Hello!? Mitoshi-san? This is Iwako! I've discovered the scene of a potential homicide while patrolling, Possible Esper involved! Requesting immediate backup! I'm at-"

Before the woman, Iwako, could report her position, a hand emerged from the shadows and grasped her arm tightly, squeezing her wrist so hard she was forced to drop the radio on the ground.

A bare foot stepped out of the shadows and crushed the device beneath it with seemingly inhuman strength. Iwako managed to turn herself around, moving her other arm to shine light in the face of her captor. Instead, the figure's other arm shot forwards and snatched her other arm, almost crushing her wrist with their strength and forcing her to relinquish her grip on the flashlight. As it fell to the ground, the stream of light cut across the figure standing before her and she caught the briefest of glimpses of the thing restraining her.

The masculine figure was covered in extensive injuries, from facial lacerations to huge bruises running across his bare chest. Broken skin and deep cuts peppered his body with dark red streaks, and what remained of his clothes was torn and tattered.

His eyes were sharp and his irises were an inhuman red, giving the figure a fiercely menacing glare. As the light passed over him and fell to the ground, it seemed that his eyes were the one thing that refused to disappear. It was as if they were glowing on their own as opposed to glinting in the light filtering in through the entryway.

"It's not very nice to go through people's stuff," the man replied. His voice was every bit as rough and menacing as he looked, but there was a strange underlying tone of something the woman couldn't quite place. In spite of the situation, there was something calming about his words.

The man leaned in closer to her and brought his mouth near her ear, making her shiver with the feeling of his breath brushing past the side of her neck.

"Sorry for my appearance. My injuries are taking longer to heal than I anticipated."

Iwako could do nothing but listen as he whispered into her ears. Her heart was racing furiously in her chest, but there was little she could do against this guy without a proper weapon. With her restrained like this, he had the upper hand.

She felt him lean back and watched as his ominous red eyes scanned her from top to bottom. After he had looked her over, as if inspecting a statue or a piece of artwork, he leaned in again and turned her arm until the torn part of her sleeve was facing him. He then leaned in and ran his tongue across the wound, licking up some of her blood.

"Yes. You're exactly what I've been waiting for. You'll do nicely."

Iwako froze up in terror at his words, a feeling of disgust rising up in the pit of her stomach.

Feeling her tense up, the man let out another raspy chuckle.

"Oh no. My intentions for you are not so impure, I assure you."

There was that strange underlying tone again. It was as though something in the man's voice made Iwako want to trust him despite her mind screaming at her that she shouldn't.

"I'm going to let go of your arms now. Don't try to run."

Iwako nodded almost absentmindedly, barely even processing what it was he had just said. Her whole body was tense, as though she were prepared to escape, but as man released her arms she found herself frozen in place. Without resisting, the woman stood there as the man raised his arms and grabbed the collar of her Anti-Skill uniform.

"Tch… this vest is in the way. I'm going to remove it."

Before Iwako knew what was happening, the man had forcibly ripped the bulletproof vest off of her, tearing effortlessly through the reinforced straps holding it to her body. Swiftly after, he had managed to unzip a considerable portion of her bodysuit. However, instead of her breasts, he was moving her uniform to get an unimpeded view of her now-exposed neck.

As the man moved to lean in closer and closer to her bare neck, he opened his mouth and white teeth caught the faint light filtering in through the doorway behind her. Two incredibly sharp fangs glinted in the moonlight as he closed in, and his eyes were filled with an inhuman hunger that chilled Iwako to the bone.

She knew she should run. Every fiber of her being was screaming at her body to run. Yet for some reason, all she could do was stand there silently as she felt the man's fangs sink into the her neck as the world around her faded into complete darkness.

 ** _To Be Continued..._**


	13. Volume 2 Chapter 1 - The Witch's Hunt

**VOLUME 2**

 **Chapter 1**

 **The Visitor**

 _ **The_Witch's_HUNT.**_

 **Part 1**

The morning light filtered in through the small window of a certain student dorm in District 7 and struck the face of a familiar red-haired high school student. Arakuyo Kenji was growing quite accustomed to sleeping on the white couch sitting in the main room of his dorm.

With a tired yawn, Arakuyo Kenji hauled himself upright and swung his legs over the edge of the couch. After a few moments of sitting upright with his eyes closed absentmindedly, the red-haired Esper managed to drag himself to his feet. Stumbling sluggishly and still half-asleep, Kenji made his way over to the bathroom and closed the door. A few moments later, the Esper emerged, dressed in his school uniform and with his red hair rid of the knots and cowlicks he got from sleeping.

The high school student let out yet another yawn before opening his eyes and noticing that he was not the only person awake in his dorm this morning.

"Are you… making breakfast?"

Kenji was standing in front of the bathroom door, wide-eyed and mildly perplexed at the scene in front of him.

The green-haired vampire known as Miyako Mizuki was standing in his cramped kitchenette, tossing a pan of meat and vegetables around over the burner. She had her hair tied up into a somewhat mussed ponytail, and was wearing a white apron Kenji was positive he'd never seen before over a light green t-shirt and tan capris.

"Mhm~!" She affirmed happily. As she continued to cook, she hummed a happy tune that Kenji was sure he had heard before, but he couldn't quite place.

"What's with that all of a sudden?" Kenji asked, only really marginally curious about her answer.

"Well," she began in a sing-song tone, "I figured if I'm going to be staying here, I can at least make myself useful~!"

Kenji shrugged but didn't argue. Instead, he plopped himself down in front of the small table and leaned his back against the couch. He let the smells of Mizuki's cooking fill his nostrils and grinned slightly. Whatever she was making, it smelled rather delicious. Kenji was content to wait, taking in the smell and the sound of sizzling food being skirted around the pan with chopsticks as the green-haired vampire worked.

"It's finished, let's eat~!" Mizuki sang, removing the pan from the burner and turning off the heat.

Kenji listened to the clinking of plates and chopsticks as Mizuki worked with his eyes closed. It had been three days since he defeated that magician from the Irish Catholic Church, and he was starting to get used to this kind of peaceful atmosphere again.

Surprisingly little had changed in the wake of his victory. Aside from the green-haired vampire now living in his dorm and the ever-present bite mark such an arrangement entailed, Kenji's life had returned to an approximation of the normal life he led prior to finding Mizuki.

It wasn't long before the aforementioned vampire finished plating her freshly made meal and made her way over to the table. With a grin, she proudly presented him with a dish of rice and stir-fry before placing her own dish down across from him and taking a seat.

Kenji leaned forwards and inspected the food that had been placed before him.

"Wow, this looks good!" He noted in surprise, eliciting a smug grin from the vampire across from him.

"But of course," Mizuki smiled, "The things these hands cannot cook are close to none~!"

Kenji gave Mizuki a bit of an incredulous look and furrowed his brow.

"Why does that sound familiar, I wonder?"

Mizuki motioned to reply, but before she could get a word out, the calm, lighthearted atmosphere that had settled upon Kenji's dorm was shattered all at once. With a loud slam, the front door was swung open harshly, and both occupants quickly swung their heads to turn towards the entrance in concern.

The morning sunlight poured in and shrouded the intruder's features, leaving only a dark silhouette standing in the doorway. The figure took a slow, ominous step forward into Kenji's apartment and Kenji's muscles tensed in anticipation. Narrowing his eyes, the red-haired Esper scrutinized the silhouette and gave them a sharp glare.

In the next moment, his expression softened and he relaxed, letting out something of an exasperated sigh.

"Greenhart, what brings you here this morning?"

In an instant, the figure jumped in surprise and collapsed to the floor with a disappointed slump. She closed the door behind her and the light obscuring her faded, giving way to a rather dejected-looking witch.

"H-how did you know it was me?" Greenhart asked in a melodramatic tone.

Kenji let out another sigh, "If you're going to try to be mysterious, you should at least do something about your distinctive outfit."

The blonde-haired witch known as Tia Greenhart had somehow managed to obtain a new version of her witch's outfit and was currently wearing it, distinctive hat and all. Given the number of people Kenji knew who ran around the city with witch hats and frilly skirts, it wasn't exactly hard to figure out who she was.

Mizuki frowned, still not entirely comfortable in the presence of the witch, "So, why are you here?"

Greenhart instantly pulled herself off the ground and brushed her skirt before making her way over to the table silently. She produced a pair of photos from her between the pages of her ever-present spellbook and tossed them onto the table in front of the two, frowning.

"Brian O'Reilly, the Magician of the Irish Catholic Church, is dead."

Kenji's eyes widened and he quickly retrieved a photo from the table to inspect it closer. He hadn't really considered the fate of the white-robed magician since that fateful battle in the parking garage, but hearing that he was dead still made Kenji feel a little uneasy. In truth, the explosions had been set in place as more a distraction than a finishing blow. He had merely meant to slow O'Reilly down. Even when he used them, he hadn't intended to outright kill O'Reilly, though he had considered that as a possible outcome.

Yet once Kenji laid eyes on the corpse of the man he had battled three days ago, he realized that the situation was very different indeed.

The photo looked like it had been taken by Anti-Skill, two nights ago according to the timestamp in the corner. There was a bit of scattered rubble here and there, but O'Reilly's body was definitely the focus of the image, sprawled out with his eyes half-open and glazed over as his head hung limply towards the side.

Yet there was something very off about the corpse in the photo. O'Reilly's face was so shriveled up and full of wrinkles he was hardly recognizable. The whole body looked as though it had undergone some form of mummification, like all the moisture had been sucked out of it.

"What is this?" Kenji gasped, looking up at Greenhart with a shocked expression plastered across his face.

"The work of a vampire."

It wasn't Greenhart who had answered the question.

Although the blonde-haired witch certainly looked as though she knew it as well, it had been Mizuki who spoke first.

"A vampire!? Something like this is…?"

Kenji looked over at Mizuki, his eyes wide with shock. It wasn't like he didn't trust Mizuki. On the contrary, even now he'd be one-hundred percent confident in letting the vampire bite him. Yet the fact that she could theoretically have the capacity to do this to him nevertheless made him a little uncomfortable.

"If you're thinking it'd be possible for me to do something like this, you're wrong," Mizuki explained as though she could read Kenji's mind, "Up until this point, I've explained things to you as though all vampires are grouped into a single category. While this makes it easier to explain the general differences between vampires and humans, there are differences between vampires as well. For instance, some vampires have the capacity to drink more blood from humans than others, and different vampires can have different types of magical abilities."

Greenhart nodded, chiming in, "In general, vampires are classified in a fashion not unlike the level system you Espers are familiar with. It's a scale from Class E to Class A, with a grading system mostly based upon how theoretically dangerous a vampire would be if left unchecked in a populous area. It doesn't take into consideration how likely that vampire is to actually kill people, so overall stronger vampires are placed in higher classes."

Kenji frowned, furrowing his brow and crossing his arms in thought, "Wait a minute… if vampires have yet to be proven to exist, why they have a grading system!?"

Greenhart cast Mizuki a look that the red-haired Esper couldn't quite read before she turned and sighed.

"In truth, there are plenty of small organizations that have already proven the existence of vampires," Greenhart noted, "The Irish Catholic Church, as well, has substantiated enough evidence to confirm their existence to the rest of the Magic Side."

Mizuki looked up at Greenhart quizzically. Apparently, this was new information for her as well.

"So… wait… if that's the case," Kenji asked, frowning, "Then why haven't they?"

"Vampire hearts," Greenhart noted grimly.

Hearing this, Mizuki let out a shocked gasp and her eyes widened.

Kenji, on the other hand, had no idea what was so significant about what Greenhart just said. Noticing the confused expression on his face, Mizuki took it upon herself to explain the situation to him.

"Remember," the green-haired vampire began, "I told you that vampires are supposed to produce an unlimited supply of magical energy. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, since I can't actually use magic myself, but most of this energy is supposedly generated within a vampire's heart."

Greenhart nodded before she held up a finger, apparently deciding to step in, "In order to fully understand the significance of an organ that can produce an infinite amount of magical energy, you need to understand something fundamental about magic. You've heard both me and Miyako-san talk about 'magical energy' before, but there are some things I need to elaborate. As an Esper, you probably attributed the phrase 'magical energy' as something similar to stamina. An Epser like yourself can use their ability indefinitely as long as they have the mental and physical resources to concentrate on their powers. Magic is a little different. While stamina does play a role in a mage's ability to cast a spell, it's that mage's supply of magical energy that is more important. Think of it like a kind of power source that's unique to magic. It can flow and be stored, and it regenerates naturally over time. Unlike physical stamina, this energy can be drawn from multiple sources for mages to cast their spells. The first is from within, this is the most common way a magician casts combat spells and the basis of all other spell casting. This internal energy, created within humans, is referred to as mana. In general, it's the amount of mana a magician has, as well as and how efficiently they can wield that mana, that determines how powerful that magician is."

Greenhart paused and looked at the red-haired Esper. Kenji nodded to show that he was following her so far and she continued.

"The second source is externally. This is some kind of magic storage device or artifact that can grant the user some extra power for stronger spells. You still need a small amount of mana to harness this extra energy to begin with, but a magician using an external source will generally run out of energy much slower than if they were relying solely on their own mana."

"So, it's kind of like having a robot that can use external battery packs," Kenji noted, translating the idea into an analogy he was more familiar with, "The robot has its own internal supply, but the external batteries can boost the amount of time it can function."

"Something like that," Greenhart nodded, "And by that analogy, the final source would be like plugging into a stationary power plant. The third source from which magicians can draw magical energy is the Earth itself. There are a series of Ley Lines running across the entire surface of the planet, pulsing from the Earth itself like a heartbeat. It's nigh undetectable and requires specialized spells and artifacts to channel, and it's heavily influenced by the surrounding geology, but it provides by far the greatest supply of magical energy of the three. In general, these Ley Lines supply large, wide area-of-affect spells or powerful destructive spells used in times of war."

Kenji nodded, "Alright, so that's how magicians use spells… but what do vampire hearts have to do with anything?"

"Vampire hearts can be said to have the benefits of all three," Greenhart noted, "By infusing a specialized magic weapon with the heart of a vampire, you can create what's called a Living Artifact… unlike a normal magic artifact, where the magician has to circulate their mana through the tool to enable it to function, a Living Artifact does this process on its own, automatically circulating its own magic through the user and effectively becoming a part of their body. In this regard, the magic within the item is external, but effectively functions as the user's own mana. In addition, it is also limitless, giving them access to magical energy comparable in magnitude to the energy coursing through a Ley Line. Because of this, Living Artifacts are considered the most dangerous weapons of mass destruction available to the Magic Side."

Mizuki's eyes widened, "I see. So, by withholding the information they have about vampires, the Irish Catholic Church is the only organization who knows enough about them to effectively 'harvest' vampire hearts for Living Artifacts."

Greenhart nodded, "That seems to be the logical conclusion. By exaggerating the danger and mystery behind vampires, most of the other large magical organizations have grown to fear vampires as though all of them were fierce beings that surpass humanity in every aspect. On paper, outside of the Irish Catholic Church's records, everyone who has ever seen a vampire has died, and most magic organizations still do not know if these accounts are accurate or myths. Because of this, while searching for vampires is not unheard of, it remains a rare practice outside of certain sects. What their reasons behind this happen to be, on the other hand, are a bit less clearly defined, though I'd imagine the main reason is political."

Mizuki frowned, "Wow… I had no idea… Wait… if the reports of vampires are exaggerated, does that mean there are other vampires like me who don't have any capacity for magic?"

Kenji couldn't help but grin at the optimism glittering in Mizuki's eyes. He could understand why she was so eager to find a vampire with the same shortcomings as her own. In Academy City, being a Level 0 wasn't uncommon, so even an Esper with no abilities could find solace in the fact that they weren't the only one like that. As it stood now, however, Mizuki was the only vampire she knew of who had no magic capacity whatsoever.

Greenhart shook her head, "I can't say for sure that there aren't, but even according to the Irish Catholic Church, you're inability to use magic at all is an anomaly. In fact, you don't even fall in any of the pre-established classes they've set up. You've become the first ever vampire to be classified as a 'Class F', in other words, you're the least dangerous vampire known to human records."

Greenhart had started off rather factually, but towards the end she couldn't keep her lips from curling upwards in a wry smile, watching the green-haired vampire flinch as the harsh words pierced through her like sharp spears. Mizuki was left slumped over with her head resting on Kenji's table, tears poking at the corner of her eyes as she squeezed them shut.

"A Class… F…?" Mizuki echoed emptily, feeling as though her very soul was slipping out of her body and floating up to the clouds to escape the harsh reality of the world.

"Anyway," Greenhart frowned, bringing the pair's attention back to her, "The problem here isn't so much the class of vampire we're dealing with here, but it's where they came from in the first place."

Mizuki immediately snapped up and placed her finger on her lip quizzically.

"Now that you mention it, it is pretty strange. Even assuming vampires aren't uncommon in Academy City, O'Reilly should've been buried until they discovered him. So how could a vampire get to him first?"

Greenhart frowned, "I've been trying to figure that out, as well… The only people in that parking garage were us and O'Reilly… right?"

Kenji nodded, thinking back to the battle. It wasn't impossible to imagine that someone may have been hiding away in some corner of one of the other floors, but aside from the three present in his dorm currently and O'Reilly, there was no one else on the top floor. There wasn't even anything to hide behind either. The lack of pillars eliminated hiding spots, and the only other thing in the room was…

Kenji's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but voice his thoughts aloud.

"Stoker's Coffin…"

Both Mizuki and Greenhart gasped when they realized just what he was getting at.

"You… You don't think…" Mizuki asked, dumbfounded.

Kenji nodded, "Think about it… Greenhart, when you told me about the Coffin, you mentioned that it's a magically primitive device that can't determine whether or not it contains a vampire, which is why a lengthy unsealing process is needed… With that being the case, is it really impossible to think that Stoker's Coffin actually already contained a vampire?"

"That's… well…" Greenhart frowned, biting her thumb, "It's not impossible… but O'Reilly was only given the Coffin to take before right we left. If the Coffin truly contained a vampire, then it was a mistake on the part of the Irish... Catholic... Church!"

Greenhart's eyes grew wide with alarm as she trailed off, clenching her fists and gritting her teeth in concern.

"So they made a mistake…" Kenji pointed out, "why are you so-"

"Don't you understand!?" Greenhart snapped, a worried expression plastered across her face, "If the Irish Catholic Church has realized their error, then they'd have sent a magician at least strong enough to defeat a Class A vampire. O'Reilly may have been a vampire hunter, but in truth, the highest level vampire he's ever had to face was a Class C… The magician they send this time will be much stronger than that, and if they find out about Miyako-san, then they'll certainly come after you two!"

Mizuki's eyes widened, and she looked towards Kenji with concern.

"However, as bad as that is, it's not the worst of our problems right now. The vampire we're dealing with here isn't benign."

Greenhart tossed another photo onto the table. This one was of a thuggish looking teenager with a blue Mohawk and tattoos across his forehead, his body in a similar state to O'Reilly's.

"They've already starting to attack people, and I doubt they'll stop at just one. Lucky for us, the Stoker's Coffin is not a very hospitable environment for a vampire. I'm sure they'll be weakened for quite some time, and they'll have to drink the blood of a certain number of people before they fully recover. Arakuyo Kenji, if you value the peace you two were enjoying prior to my appearance, I suggest you help me track down this vampire and prevent them from causing any more havoc."

The red-haired Esper glanced over at Mizuki apprehensively, and she gave him a small nod.

Turning back to Greenhart, Kenji answered.

"On one condition," Kenji replied, "If the Irish Catholic Church truly did send a powerful magician here, can I count on you to help me take them down?"

Greenhart nodded, "Of course, I am your ally, after all."

Kenji nodded, eyes burning with determination, "Then let's go find that vampire!"

Just as the red-haired Esper spoke, a small alarm went off and everyone in the room turned towards the table. Sitting next to Kenji's plate was his cell phone, which was beeping frantically as the time blinked on the screen.

Kenji's eyes widened and he ran his hands through his hair, "Ahh! I'm gonna be late for class!"

The red-haired Esper hoisted the plate of food Mizuki had prepared for him and began wolfing it down frantically, his chopsticks clattering noisily against the plate as he did so. In record time, the dishes before him were empty, and a small smile graced his features before he leapt to his feet and rushed towards the door.

"That's for the food, Mizuki-san! I'll see you after class!"

The red-haired high school student hastily slipped on his shoes and bolted out the door, leaving Greenhart and Mizuki alone in his dorm room together. An uncomfortable silence settled between the two, and Mizuki couldn't bring herself to even pick at the food in front of her.

It was Greenhart who finally broke the silence.

"Arakuyo Kenji…." the blonde-haired witch mused to herself, "My, you've certainly found yourself an interesting ally."

"You're wrong," Mizuki shook her head, grinning not at the witch before her, but at the door where the red-haired Esper had disappeared behind, "He found me."

* * *

 **Part 2**

Kenji wasn't sure how he had done it, but he had made it to class on time with not a minute to spare.

As the red-haired Esper panted from the mad rush down the streets of District 7 from his dorm to Fubushima Academy, he slid open the door to his classroom and darted his eyes around the room, looking for Kamishiri. He wasn't late, but his last-minute arrival was sure to earn him at least a suspicious glare from the silver-haired teacher.

That is, it would have, had she been in the classroom.

Strangely, the silver-haired woman who struck fear in the hearts of her students was nowhere to be seen. All the other students in the supplementary class were acting lax, chatting idly amounts themselves or sleeping with their heads against their desk. It was a confusing sight to say the least.

Kenji stepped into the classroom proper and glanced towards the front of the classroom. It was there that he found the answer he had been looking for.

Written on the chalkboard at the front of class in Kamishiri's handwriting was a small note that read "I'll be 15 minutes late today. Please stay in the classroom and don't cause problems!"

Next to the message a surprisingly well-drawn cartoon rendition of Kamishiri could be seen, waggling her finger at the class. Kenji was surprised just how well the drawing captured all of Kamishiri's sadistic undertones in her pleasant smile.

The red-haired high school student sighed and turned around to make his way over to his seat when he noticed that there was a newcomer to the class that hadn't shown up the last few days he had attended.

"Huh…" Kenji asked, a bit surprised, "Kaede-chan, you're here?"

Sitting in the desk immediately next to his was a petite girl with short, dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She was wearing a standard Fubushima girl's uniform which consisted of a dark grey skirt and a white blouse. A maroon ribbon matching the color of Kenji's tie was tied around her collar, and she wore black knee-high socks and brown dress shoes.

The brown-haired girl named Ikazuchi Kaede looked up at the familiar voice and smiled as she waved at Kenji.

"Oh, Arakuyo-san!" she beamed, her voice gentle and her expression kind, "I didn't expect to see you here!"

Kenji realized exactly where he was and what was assumed of the other students who wound up here and froze, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Heh, well, I'm not exactly here because of grades," Kenji explained, "It's a long story… I-"

"His AIM field's fluctuating," a voice from behind Kaede interrupted.

Kaede whirled around in surprise and her eyes fell upon the icy-haired high school student seated behind Kenji, his head raised just slightly above the desk and his eyes half-lidded as usual.

"K-K-Kurogori-kun!?" Kaede gasped in shock, "You're... how can you be here? Don't tell me your AIM field's acting weird like Arakuyo-san's?"

"My AIM field's fine," Kurogori stated dully, "I'm here for-"

"He was lazy and got bad grades despite being a super-genius," Kenji quipped in payback, flashing Kurogori a sly grin.

Kurogori simply stared back at Kenji with a blank look before letting out a yawn and lowering his head once more.

Kenji shrugged off the non-reaction and turned back to Kaede curiously.

"Say, Kaede, why are you here? I never pictured you the type to struggle with class."

Kaede laughed awkwardly and lowered her head.

"I'm good at most of the straightforward stuff, but being a Level 0, I don't have much capacity for the more complicated Esper things… you know?"

Kenji nodded. In truth, he had entirely forgotten Kaede was a Level 0. Fubushima set a slightly higher bar than most high schools, so it was relatively rare for Level 1s and 0s to get in at all. The fact that Kaede had passed the entrance exam and was standing before him right now was a testament to her academic abilities, despite her being in the supplementary course.

"Why weren't you here last week when summer classes started?"

Kaede turned back to Kurogori. Apparently he wasn't done with the conversation just yet.

Kenji wasn't exactly sure how he expected Kaede to react to the question, but the bright red color that flushed across her face as she staggered backwards and looked towards her feet caught him off guard. It took her a good moment to compose herself, and when she did, she met Kurogori's slightly curious gaze.

"Well, I was in the hospital," Kaede replied, "I just got released today, so…"

"The hospital!?" Kenji asked, eyes widening, "Are you okay? What happened?"

"Erm… I'm fine and… well… it's…." Kaede trailed off, looking down at her feet and pressing her fingertips together awkwardly.

Kenji was about to tell her not to worry about it, but the door sliding open robbed him of the chance to speak. All the idle chatter came to an abrupt end as every student turned their heads to look towards the door.

"My my, the classroom's still in one piece," Kamishiri spoke, stepping into the classroom, "You lot are better behaved than I expected. I apologize for being late. I had someone to talk to about something."

Kamishiri's silver eyes met Kenji's, communicating instantly just what she meant. If the red-haired Esper were to guess, this was about his AIM field.

"Arakuyo-kun, Nakare-san's out in the hall waiting to speak with you…" Kamishiri replied, a serious look flashing across her features. As she turned to look next to him, her expression softened considerably, "Oh! Inazuma-chan! Glad you've recovered fully!"

As Kamishiri began the class, Kenji rose to his feet and stepped out into the hallway. There was something decidedly unnerving about the tone Kamishiri had used with him. Furthermore, the fact that the always-punctual silver-haired teacher had been late to class at all was telling of how serious the issue was.

" _W-wait! Don't tell me Nakare-san found out I stole her access card to the Lab!"_

Kenji looked around nervously and caught sight of the raven-haired scientist, leaning against the back wall much like when they had first met. Her facial expression was entirely unreadable, but her posture was stiffer than normal and her arms were crossed tightly over her chest.

"Arakuyo-san," she spoke, her voice betraying no emotion, "We need to talk."

Assuming the worst, Kenji immediately collapsed to the ground in prostration, kneeling and pressing his forehead to his hands laid out on the ground in front of him.

"I'm sorry for stealing from the Power Development Lab! There was an urgent situation and I needed some supplies! I'll return your key card, and I'll pay you back! I promise!"

The red-haired Esper could not see Nakare, but he heard her let out a long sigh. He glanced up and found the raven-haired woman with a small frown on her face.

"Well… that wasn't what we needed to talk about, but you just saved me a lot of problems trying to figure out who the thief was," Nakare replied.

Kenji looked up at her wide-eyed, "Huh… HUH!? So… you weren't about to ask me about where the supplies went?"

Nakare shook her head, "No. I mean, I had my suspicions, but you pretty much confessed to that all on your own."

Kenji slammed his head against the floor once in reprimand for how careless he had been to assume that Nakare was on to him. As he pulled himself off the ground, Nakare produced a chart and looked it over before scratching her head.

"Anyway, I was going to talk to you about your AIM dispersion field… it's… well…" Nakare sighed, wondering how to word what she was about to say, "It's… stopped."

"Huh, so you mean, it's back to normal?" Kenji asked.

Nakare shook her head, "Not quite. It stopped fluctuating the night I found you, but it hasn't gone back to normal levels. Take a look at this."

Nakare handed him the chart she had and he looked it over. Much like last time, there was a dotted line for where his expected AIM output should be, and a solid line representing his actual output. However, instead of the solid line zigzagging all over the chart, it remained relatively horizontal across the entirety of the chart.

The problem now was it was way higher on the chart than his expected output.

"We don't understand this sudden increase. These levels are almost unheard of, even for a Level 5," Nakare explained, "Yet at the same time, they're lower than what we'd expect from a Gemstone. Er… if you're not familiar with the term, that's what we call a natural Esper. In other words, they're sitting right in the middle of what we'd consider 'normal readings'."

Kenji frowned, looking down at the chart, "So, what does that mean?"

Nakare sighed, "It means nothing's changed much. Your AIM dispersion field is still behaving strangely, and I still can't figure out why."

Nakare pushed herself off the wall and began walking, giving the red-haired Esper little warning. Without looking back towards him, the raven-haired scientist beckoned him.

"Come with me, we have some more testing to do."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **AN: Here's the first full chapter of Volume 2! I got into a lot of descriptions of things that were never explicitly stated in To Aru, particularly regarding the mana/magical energy parts. Ley Lines exist, obviously, and we have seen mages use both artifacts and cast spells directly, but it's never explicitly stated if magical artifacts have their own energy or if it's part of the mage's energy. Hopefully I did a good enough job. I am trying to keep this as close to canon as possible, like this story could really be taking place alongside the actual Light Novels. If I make a mistake or if you catch something I don't, don't hesitate to tell me.  
**

 **In addition, I would like to apologize for using days like "Monday" and "Friday" in these Author's Notes without any context. It's less that I didn't realize people who live outside of my own time zone exist, it's more that I started using it as a catchy throw-in without considering that it could be misleading. For the record, I'm on Eastern Standard Time (UTC -5:00), so when I use the names of days, that's the standard I'm going by. Now, by saying that, I also kind out out myself, because I said I would upload this chapter on Friday, but as of right now it is 1:43 AM on Saturday where I am, thereby making me a liar. But from now on, I will upload these chapters sometime on Friday, going by Eastern Standard Time, likely at night or in the evening.**

 **Now that I've cleared up that confusion, Thank you for reading! Loved it? Hated it? Leave me a review and tell me what you think! New chapters come out every Friday (EST), so I'll be back with another one next week.**


	14. Volume 2 Chapter 2 - First Lead

**VOLUME 2**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Awaken**

 _ **First_LEAD.**_

 **Part 1**

"Ha… ha… ha…."

"Come on, Arakuyo-san, is that the limit of your endurance?"

Kenji narrowed his eyes and glared up at the bulletproof glass windows of the Limit Field. He couldn't see Nakare at all, and he doubted she could make out his harsh expression from where she was watching him, but he was able to find some amount of satisfaction in the gesture.

The red-haired Esper was standing in the middle of the Limit Field, which had been configured with some sort of maze-like arrangement of rectangular and L-shaped walls. Although it looked like a maze, the object of this particular test was nothing of the sort.

The whirring of electric motors could be heard and Kenji's head instantly snapped to the side. Just as he did so, three repurposed security bots swung around the corner, guns aimed and ready to open fire.

The red-haired Esper grit his teeth and charged directly at the group, zig-zagging from side to side to ensure they couldn't properly aim. As simulation rounds zipped past his head, Kenji closed the distance and swung his while body around, delivering a strong, increased-density kick to the patrol bot closest to him. His foot left a small dent in the metal casing and the robot was thrown backwards, careening into another immediately behind it.

Kenji then turned towards the remaining robot and drove his fist into the small red camera lens that purposed as its eye. The glass shattered and sparks licked at the Esper's knuckles, but as the robot staggered backwards and began spinning around uncontrollably, Kenji could tell he had disabled it.

Kenji let out a sigh of relief and paused to catch his breath again, sweat dripping from his chin as he panted.

"I wouldn't look so comfortable if I were you, Arakuyo-san."

Kenji turned to glare up at the glass again, but instantly his ears were accosted by a loud, whining siren coming from the disabled patrol bot behind him. The Esper's eyes widened and he reacted swiftly, kicking the bot in its already damaged eye and ceasing its call. Unfortunately, he hadn't been fast enough. The sound of multiple electric motors could be heard as the patrol bot's backup approached.

Behind him, no less than ten training bots rounded the corner towards him, and in front of him an extra five emerged. Kenji groaned and sent an icy glare towards the Limit Field's observation deck before gritting his teeth and crouching in preparation to sprint.

Anyone else would have doubtlessly sprinted towards the smaller group of patrol bots in an effort to avoid the more difficult confrontation, but the red-haired Esper took off sprinting towards the larger group behind him instead. As he approached, they opened fire, and not even his evasive maneuvers could keep him completely safe. Rubber bullets grazed past his skin and pelted his legs, but he persisted onward.

As Kenji reached the group, kicked off the ground and lept, using his ability to make himself lighter and soar over the large group of patrol bots. Now that he was directly above them, the only group that could shoot at him was the smaller group of five. This had been why he rushed the larger group instead.

Still, there were now five robots who could shoot at him, and in the air he couldn't dodge as effectively.

Kenji crossed his arms over his face as fire from the smaller group of training bots peppered the air around him. He got hit with a few rounds and lost concentration, just barely managing to clear one of the walls before crashing back and sliding until he slammed up against yet another wall of the maze.

Still, he had escaped an encounter he would otherwise be unable to handle on his own. Now Kenji could use the labyrinthine twists of the room's current configuration to split the patrol bots up and continue to take them out in more manageable groups.

The red-haired Esper pulled himself off his feet and sighed, leaning against the wall to catch his breath. He wasn't sure how long he had been at this, but he had destroyed or disabled at least twenty of the training bots already. Still, there were plenty left, and at the rate he was going, he wasn't sure if he could beat all of them like this.

As Kenji wracked his brain for some sort of strategy that would doubtlessly end all his troubles in one fell swoop, he heard the sound of whirling motors behind him and froze. Slowly the Esper turned around, only to find himself surrounded by another ten patrol robots, each of them with their guns trained on him mercilessly.

"Well shit."

The red-haired Esper crossed his arms over his face and squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the robot's attack. However, instead of being pelted with simunition from the surrounding patrol bots, Kenji was met with the sound of electronic whirling as each of the robots turned around and began heading away from him.

"That's enough, Arakuyo-san," Nakare's voice called from over the intercom system, "The test is over, come on up."

A loud buzzer sounded and the walls around him began to sink back into the floor slowly. The red-haired Esper stayed sprawled out on his back with his arms outstretched for a few moments before pulling himself upright. As the walls concealing the full area of the Limit Field disappeared, Kenji could see the remaining training bots returning to the garage they were housed in.

Kenji, too, began making his way back to the elevator entrance, removing the face mask he had been given and wiping the sweat from his brow. There was no suit today. Now that Nakare had implanted him with the device that monitored his AIM field and vitals there was no need for it.

Speaking of the raven-haired scientist, she had been uncharacteristically cocky throughout the entire fight, making subtle quips that quickly approached Kamishiri's own level of wit.

Kenji stepped into the elevator and sighed, still panting from the earlier fight. Once he reached the observation bay, the doors slid open and Kenji was greeted by the uncharacteristically expressive, smiling face of Nakare.

"That was some nice work," the scientist grinned, handing Kenji a bottle of water, "I didn't think you'd do so well, taking on fifty of them at once."

"I feel like you're trying to get back at me for stealing stuff from the Lab…" Kenji admitted out loud, grabbing the bottle of water Nakare had held out for him to take and opening it quickly.

Nakare didn't provide any sort of response, instead opting to return to her seat in front of the computer console to look over the results.

"This data will do nicely for now. I don't think I need to test you anymore for today," Nakare noted, not bothering to break eye-contact with the computer screen, "Oh… it's around lunchtime now, so you should probably head back to the classroom."

Kenji nodded, "Alright. I imagine I'll be seeing you tomorrow, then?"

Nakare shrugged noncommittally, "Perhaps."

Kenji frowned at the ambiguous, coy answer, but decided not to mention it regardless. Instead, he placed the face mask he had been given for the duration of the experiment in a container with a bunch of protective gear and headed off for the elevator to the first floor of the Power Development Lab.

Just as he reached the door, however, the raven-haired scientist behind him turned around and frowned slightly before calling out to the red-haired Esper.

"Arakuyo-san," she began, catching his attention and causing him to whirl around just as the elevator arrived. Her brow was furrowed and her pale yellow eyes conveyed clear signs of distress, but she smiled softly nevertheless.

"I don't know what's happening to you. I have a few hypotheses, but…" Nakare trailed off and shook her head, "Look, just… be careful, Arakuyo-san."

Kenji hesitated for a moment before nodding his head and turning around to step into the elevator. As the doors closed and the elevator departed the observation deck of the Limit Field, the raven-haired woman turned back to the computer to look over the results of the test once more, a small frown crossing her features as she let out a sigh.

"At the rate this is progressing, will that boy really be fine, I wonder?"

* * *

 **Part 2**

As Kenji trudged tiredly down the hallway towards Kamishiri's classroom, he couldn't help but reflect on the tone Nakare had used before he had left. It was filled with concern and worry, the kind one would expect their mother to use as she saw them off to go do something incredibly dangerous. There was something Nakare wasn't telling Kenji outright, and whatever it was, it was dangerous.

The red-haired Esper felt around his wrist until the telltale bumps of the tiny vitals monitor Nakare had implanted into him were felt. At first such an action seemed like a scientist concerned with gathering data overstepping her bounds, but Kenji had entirely ignored the fact that Nakare had rushed out to his location the night he was injured.

No, the implanting the monitor into him was a telltale sign of Nakare's concern for the Esper's well-being.

Kenji raised his left hand and looked at it. How many times had he used his ability on this hand without even putting too much thought into it?

Kenji furrowed his brow and frowned, his mind slipping back to the strangest phenomenon he had experienced since his AIM Field began fluctuating.

" _That headache from the other day… I just collapsed without warning… and then there was that clarity… In that moment, it felt like a fog had been lifted in my mind and my calculation abilities increased…"_

Kenji was so caught up in thought that he barely noticed the brown-haired girl walking towards him until she called out and waved at him happily.

"Arakuyo-san!"

The red-haired Esper snapped his head up and he made eye-contact with Kaede. The very sight of his brown-haired classmate jostled him out of his previous contemplative state, but it was only because her presence in the hallway was utterly perplexing to him.

This particular hallway was not in the direction of the school's cafeteria (not that the cafeteria was open anyway), nor was it between Kamishiri's classroom and the bathrooms or the stairwell to the roof. Even still, Kaede did not seem like she was wandering around aimlessly, and she was carrying a bento wrapped in a light pink cloth around with her.

"Eh, Kaede-chan?" Kenji tilted his head to the side in mild confusion, "Why'd you come down this way?"

Kaede crossed her arms and pouted, "Well, Kurogori-kun is probably the worst person to eat lunch with, so I thought I'd come see if you were free."

Kenji nodded, "Yeah, I just finished up, actually."

"Great!" The brown-haired girl beamed happily and clapped her hands together, "I don't want to sit in a room with that icy-haired sloth right now, so let's find somewhere else to eat."

At a Japanese high school with such a tall building, "somewhere else" was almost synonymous with "the roof." Sure enough, in a few minutes time, the two found themselves standing out on the roof of the building, overlooking the vast cityscape of District 7 and beyond. A wind that always seemed to accompany lunch on the roof blew through the chain-link fence raised around the perimeter of the roof's edge, rustling Kenji's red hair as he let out a relaxed sigh.

"You've got a strange look on your face," Kaede noted, interrupting the red-haired Esper's meditative state, "We came up here to eat, you know?"

Kenji nodded, "Yeah, but sometimes you have to appreciate calm moments like this."

The sentence had entirely stemmed from the stresses of a morning running around getting chased by security robots with guns.

Kaede shrugged before making her way over to one of the benches that had been set up specifically for the students of Fubushima Academy to eat up here. During the school year, the roof was a popular place for lunch where students would rush to find the best areas before it became too crowded for them to eat comfortably. Now that it was summer, however, Kenji and Kaede were the only two who had bothered to come up here at all.

Kenji sighed contently once more before making his way over to the bench as well and plopping himself down with a heavy thud. Beside him, Kaede opened the bento she had prepared and clasped her hands together, voicing her thanks before digging into her meal.

Kenji, on the other hand, poked at the wrapped yakisoba bread he had obtained from the refrigerated vending machines just outside the cafeteria. They had stopped by quickly on the way there, as the red-haired Esper had failed to grab something for lunch in his morning rush. While the cafeteria was closed like he had suspected, Kenji was pleasantly surprised to find the vending machines were stocked despite the summer season.

"You seem tired, Arakuyo-san," Kaede observed, words slightly muddled by the food in her mouth, "What were you up to all morning, I wonder?"

"Ah," Kenji replied, finally getting around to removing the wrapping around his sandwich, "Well, a scientist from the Power Development Lab was running me ragged by forcing me to fight training robots. I think she's trying to push my ability to its limits for some reason."

"Hmm?" the brown-haired girl titled her head in confusion at her red-haired classmate's words, "Does this have to do with your AIM field fluctuating?"

Kenji nodded, "Apparently it stopped, but now my readings are much higher than they should be or something. I think she's worried that something bad is going to happen to me regarding my ability."

"I see," Kaede smiled, though there was something strange about her tone. At first Kenji thought she had trailed off, but then he realized she had been speaking so low he could barely hear her.

"It must be because you're a Level 3 that they're paying attention to you at all…"

The red-haired Esper frowned and looked over at the brown-haired girl sitting next to him. He had heard her, but she had been so quiet with what she said he almost instinctively responded with a concerned, "What was that?"

"N-nothing!" Kaede lied, staring down at the food in her bento like it was the most interesting thing in the world right now.

Kenji leaned back and sighed. He didn't say it out loud, but internally he sympathized with his classmate. He wasn't about to pretend he understood how she felt, but he could at least feel bad for her.

" _Being a Level 0 must be tough…"_ he noted internally.

An air of awkward silence fell between the two as they continued to eat, and Kenji suddenly became very conscious of the position he was in. He was eating lunch with a girl on the roof when there was no one else in sight, and now the two were sitting here awkwardly as they avoided each other's gaze.

Without prior knowledge, this could easily be misconstrued as a couple's lunch.

" _I don't know why, but it feels like Mizuki finding out about this situation would be hazardous to my health for some reason…"_

The red-haired Esper shook his head at the thought. This wasn't a comfortable atmosphere between two lovers. Kaede was his friend, and she had been in the hospital for a while. Kenji hadn't seen her since before the start of summer break. It was natural for two friends to eat lunch together in this situation.

Just as Kenji convinced himself he was worrying needlessly, the sound of his phone ringing jolted him out of his contemplative state. The noise also startled Kaede out of her quiet reverie, causing her to snap her head towards Kenji with a squid leg from her bento poking out from the corner of her mouth.

Quickly, Kenji rummaged through his pockets until he found the rectangular device and he answered without checking the ID first.

"Hello?"

"Arakuyo Kenji."

Kenji's eyes widened in surprise and he nearly dropped his phone at the sound of the voice on the other end. The way the feminine voice had uttered his name, drawing out each syllable purposefully and with an air of dramatic tension, was familiar to him by now.

Still, there was one question that needed answering.

"G-Greenhart!? How… how did you get my number?"

"Miyako-san gave it to be before I left the house, but that's not important right now," the blonde-haired witch answered from the other side of the phone, "I have a lead on the whereabouts of the vampire. Where are you right now?"

"I'm still at the supplementary courses, though I guess I'm technically done for today since Nakare-sensei said she was finished," Kenji answered, "Why?"

"Good, I'll be there shortly. Can you make it to the roof?"

"I'm already on the roof but there's someone else with me!" Kenji exclaimed. He turned away from Kaede and whispered into the receiver of his cell phone, "If you come riding in on a broomstick or something like that, it'll be way too obvious!"

Kenji couldn't see Greenhart, but he could practically hear the sound of an anger vein popping out on her forehead as she made a frustrated noise into her own phone, "A broomstick!? What do you take me for? Are you expecting me to be one of those witches who scatters stardust behind me as I fly in front of the moon or something!?"

"No! I'm just telling you to be discrete about it! As long as you can be subtle I don't care how you get here!"

"... Fine," the blonde-haired witch replied after a moment of uncomfortable silence, "I'll be there in five minutes. I'll explain things on our way to the hospital."

The red-haired Esper's eyes widened and he frowned, furrowing his brow, "Wait, hospital, just what are we-?"

Before Kenji could finish, Greenhart hung up, leaving him with rhythmic beeping of the dial tone as his only answer. The red-haired Esper let out a heavy sigh and slumped back in the bench he was sitting in, lamenting how out-of-control his life seemed lately.

"Who was that? Some of that sounded suspicious…" Kaede pointed out. Before Kenji could answer her, the brown-haired girl's eyes widened and she gasped, "Arakuyo-san, could it be that she's you're girlfriend? Are you planning on skipping out on classes to do dirty things with her!?"

Kenji's eyes widened and he resisted the urge to grab at his hair in irritation.

"What's with that kind of unreasonable assumption!?"

"She sounded like an older woman… wait, so Arakuyo-san likes an Onee-san type character!?"

"What!? No! How did you come to that conclusion!?"

"Wait!" Kaede gasped, her eyes filled with a crazy, carnivorous look that only a girl interested in gossip and rumors could manifest, "If you don't like older women, then is it possible… Are you the kind of guy who likes the underdeveloped body!?"

"Wait, are you asking me if I'm a lolicon!? What the hell!?"

"I see, so anything above B-cups are no good!?"

"Ah, Kaede-chan… where's the innocent and pure girl I was talking to just minutes ago!?"

When Greenhart finally showed up, Kaede had cornered the red-haired Esper up against the chain-link fence that prevented students from falling five stories from the roof to the ground below them, interrogating Kenji on his preferences for women. When Kenji noticed the blonde-haired witch standing a safe distance away from the dangerous conversation, he made eye-contact and silently pleaded to be saved.

Instead of stepping in, however, the blonde-haired witch simply sat back, watching the conversation develop with a small grin on her face until the time allotted for lunch had expired.

* * *

 **Part 3**

The blonde-haired witch walked swiftly down the hallway of the hospital, the harsh lighting and sterile smell irritating her into moving more swiftly than she might have otherwise. She didn't like hospitals, and furthermore she was worried that someone would recognize her, as this had been the hospital she had been taken after her fight with the red-haired Esper behind her.

Still, it wasn't like the blonde stood out extensively. She looked like a foreigner, and there was little she could do about this fact, but she had taken Kenji's suggestion and decided to wear her civilian outfit as opposed to her stereotypical western witch's garbs. Furthermore, she hadn't been admitted to this particular section of the hospital that one time, so the chances of encountering familiar staff was low.

Even then, the blonde made her way hastily down the hallway as she explained the situation to the red-haired high school student behind her.

"The woman we're visiting is named Iwako Chiyoko. She was an Anti-Skill officer patrolling the area they found the corpse of that boy I showed you earlier," Greenhart explained, glancing off to the side regularly to check the room numbers, "It's possible she was also attacked by the vampire, but she managed to escape with her life."

"So," Kenji began, frowning at the thought if visiting someone they didn't know, "We're going to try to interrogate her for information… an Anti-Skill officer, at that?"

"Of course not," Greenhart frowned, replying with a tone that indicated she felt some form of indignation at Kenji's assumption of her plan, "That kind of brute force approach is inelegant. While that may be something a thuggish Esper like you might come up with, I am a refined witch with a powerful book of magic in my possession. My grimoire is mostly for offensive spells, but there are quite a few analytical spells within it as well. I'm hoping to take information directly from her memories."

"Wait, you can do such a thing!?" Kenji asked, his voice a mix of surprise and concern.

"This is not just a child's spell book. The title 'grimoire' is not one given to just any record of magic," Greenhart replied, her tone growing rather noticeably heavier as she lowered her head, "Even though a book like this isn't…"

Greenhart's expression faltered, and she trailed off as though in thought. Whatever she had been about to say likely held some amount of weight to it, and she were debating if sharing that information with Kenji was appropriate.

In the end, she shook her head and smirked, a certain amount of cockiness slipping into her voice as she finished, "Well, just be glad I never opposed you once O'Reilly returned my tome to me, or the outcome of that fight would have gone much differently."

Kenji gulped audibly as he realized just how helpless he would be against someone like Greenhart, who possessed spells he was not even aware of and knowledge he couldn't comprehend.

"Ah, here it is," Greenhart replied, checking the hospital room number on the door to make sure it matched the number scribbled out on the small slip of paper she held in her hands, "Let's enter quietly. If she's still asleep, it will make our job much easier."

The red-haired Esper nodded silently and held his breath as Greenhart slowly slid the door open. From his position behind the blonde-haired witch, Kenji could not see much of what was in the room, but it wasn't like there was anything of note that set this hospital room apart from any other. Inside, there was likely Iwako Chiyoko and no one else, and the furniture would be the same generic chairs and hospital bed that were present in all the other rooms in this ward.

At least that had been Kenji's assumption.

Greenhart froze as she pushed the door open, stopping abruptly and forcing Kenji to poke his head over her shoulder to see into the room.

"Oh, who might you two be?"

The pleasant question had been voiced by a woman who was unknown to the red-haired Esper peeking into the room. The youthful yet clearly older woman sat in a chair at the foot of the hospital bed, one leg crossed atop the other with her ankle on top of her other knee.

She held a rather casual air about her, her position more of a slouch than anything as she leaned back and tilted her head to the side to see the door. She wore a rather short white blouse that showed off a lot of her midriff, tied rather than buttoned just underneath a rather diminutive bosom. She also wore hot pants, a dull pink in color and torn at the ends as though someone had deliberately cut them short. Her feet were bare other than a pair of sandals, one of which was dangling from her foot as she rocked it to some unheard beat, and a pair of sunglasses sat atop the woman's head, nested in light blue locks that were tied up into a short, messy ponytail.

Kenji had never seen the woman before, but something about her seemed familiar in a way the red-haired Esper couldn't quite put a finger on.

Still, the woman's strange familiarity was not as important as the question she posed. Greenhart had anticipated the room to be empty, as this was the intensive care ward and getting back here without sneaking in as they had done was not a trivial matter for non-relatives. She had checked to see if Iwako Chiyoko had any relatives ahead of time, but there were no records of family living within the confines of Academy City.

How Greenhart had gotten a hold of that kind of information when she herself was technically an illegal resident was unknown to Kenji, but to be honest he kind of preferred it that way.

Regardless, there was a woman sitting in the room and she had just asked them who they were. If she was in here at all, it meant there was a pretty decent chance she was close with Iwako Chiyoko. Since they knew almost nothing of the hospitalized woman's life or the extent to which the blue-haired woman knew of it, they couldn't simply lie about being friends or coworkers of hers.

"A-ah, whoops! Guess this is the wrong room!" Greenhart covered quickly, scratching the back of her head awkwardly and putting on a sheepish grin.

"I told you it was room 203, not 302," Kenji replied, playing along. He let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head, "I can always count on you getting us lost."

Even though he had said it as lighthearted banter between two lost bystanders, Greenhart whipped her head around and sent him an irritated glare.

"Wait," the casually-dressed woman leaned forwards slightly, her eyes narrowing on Kenji, "Is that a Fubushima uniform? My little brother goes there, but it's weird to see during the summer like this."

Hearing the name of his school, Kenji jolted in surprise and looked up at the woman, meeting her icy blue eyes.

Suddenly the reason behind the woman's strange familiarity was made clear.

"Y-you're Kurogori-san's…!"

"Yup! I'm Kurogori Akane!" the woman beamed, flashing Kenji a toothy grin, "So you know my little bro! You in the same class or something?"

"Y-yeah, I'm Arakuyo Kenji," the red-haired Esper nodded, "I'm one of Kurogori-san's classmates."

Greenhart shifted uncomfortably, seemingly caught off guard by this random small talk and looking rather anxious to leave. She flashed Kenji a concerned gaze, sending him a silent warning.

" _Don't get caught up in the conversation, I want to leave before something else goes wrong."_

That seemed to be the message she was trying to convey with her eyes.

Kenji nodded, making it look like he was responding to Kurogori's sister.

"Ah, but to be honest, I don't really know him that much," Kenji admitted, "He kind of keeps to himself, so even though we're in the same class, I don't really talk to him that often."

A small frown graced the woman's features for the briefest of moments before her smile returned, albeit with less intensity.

"Ah, yeah, he can be like that sometimes. Even as a sister I feel like I have trouble understanding him…" the woman suddenly gasped and grasped her cheek with her hand, "Ah! Listen to me talking like a single mother in her forties! And to a stranger at that! Anyway, I should let you go, you were looking for someone else, right?"

Kenji nodded and bowed politely, "Yes, sorry, we should be going-"

"Ahem..."

Kenji and Greenhart both whirled around suddenly at the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them. A rather nondescript nurse with black hair and green eyes stood with her arms crossed over her chest and an unpleasant expression on her face.

"If you two would kindly avoid standing in the doorway and blocking entry to-"

It entirely sounded as though the woman intended to continue with her thought, but she trailed off as her eyes narrowed at the sight of Greenhart.

The blonde-haired witch's eyes widened and her face turned at least three different shades of red before settling upon an almost red-violet hue.

"Y-You're that pervert that they found unconscious in the middle of the road wearing nothing but her underwear!"

Greenhart's eyes widened and she waved her hands in front of her dismissively, "W-what! That's totally wrong, you've got the wrong person!"

"No, it was totally you!" the nurse insisted, "I was almost done with my shift I was called down to the ER! Your jaw was busted up and you were wearing those lacy garments!"

"I'm telling you you're mistaken!" Greenhart replied frantically, her blush spreading down her neck and making it clearly apparent that the nurse was anything but.

The red-haired Esper who could easily be pinned as the sole reason this conversation was even happening in the first place calmly let things progress without any input whatsoever.

It looked as though the two had intended to go on for quite a while, but a surprised gasp from inside the room caught their attention and made them stop.

"Oh, Chiyoko-chan, you're awake!"

The nurse, forgetting her prior argument, pushed her way past Greenhart and rushed into the room to check on her patient. Kurogori's sister, who had voiced the exclamation, was now standing next to the bed upon which Iwako Chiyoko rested.

"Now's our chance," Greenhart whispered, "While they're distracted with her waking up, and while she's still out of it from her injuries and medication, I can scan her mind quickly for the information we need."

Kenji nodded silently and the two covertly slipped into the room. Like this, their intrusion wasn't immediately obvious and they could always claim they got caught up in the moment if questioned further about their presence in the room. Greenhart summoned her grimoire quickly as to not draw too much attention, and flipped to a page as she prepared to use whatever spell it was that would let her probe the mind of their target.

The red-haired Esper, meanwhile, turned his attention to the woman waking up. She was clearly an older woman, looking even a bit older than Kurogori's sister, but Kenji wouldn't place her age any older than thirty-five. Her black hair was cut incredibly short and styled in a slightly spikey fashion, giving her a tomboyish look despite her full figure and prominent bust.

She was wearing a standard hospital gown, but Kenji could easily picture this woman in the iconic blue vest and bodysuit of an Anti-Skill officer. She seemed like she would the kind of woman who struck a fear of authority just by her presence. Of course, that effect was greatly diminished considering her dazed expression as she begun to stir.

Iwako Chiyoko's eyes opened slightly and she closed them again quickly, likely trying to adjust to the hospital's harsh light. A few moments later, she opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times before turning her head to the side.

"Chiyo-chan," Kurogori's sister sighed, "Geez, you really had me worried over here! I was told one of the other victims died, you know!"

Iwako Chiyoko's eyes widened and she scanned her eyes around, glancing from the blue-haired woman next to the bed to the nurse who had moved closer to check the heart monitor set up next to the bed.

Her lips curled up into a small smile, and something white glinted as it caught the red-haired Esper's eye.

"Greenhart!" Kenji whispered harshly, grabbing the witch by her shoulder and pointing at Iwako's mouth, "She's a…"

Greenhart cursed as she saw them. Two sharp fangs iconic of a vampire sat in the short-haired woman's mouth, glistening as her lips parted.

Greenhart's eyes widened in alarm and she rushed towards the nurse, who was currently the closest to the fanged woman, "Quick, get away from her, she's-"

The nurse, hearing the call, whipped her head around to meet Greenhart's gaze with a confused look. However, in that moment the woman known as Iwako Chiyoko lunged, grabbing the nurse roughly and using her as support as she hoisted herself upright.

The nurse let out a shrill scream of surprise and Kurogori's sister gasped as the fanged woman snaked her way up to the nurse's neck. Tearing away the high collar of the nurse's uniform as though it were tissue paper, the new vampire plunged her fangs into the woman's veins and her screams immediately ceased. Before the vampire could suck the nurse dry, however, a bright yellow mass of light erupted from the ground underneath the two of them and isolated the vampire, wrapping her limbs in glowing ribbons and dragging her down off the nurse's form.

The nurse stumbled forwards and collapsed, Kurogori's sister rushing in to grab her before she collapsed. As the remaining occupants of the room looked upon Iwako Chiyoko with varying levels of wariness and confusion, Greenhart stepped forwards, her grimoire held open in her left hand as her right hand remained outstretched towards the vampire.

She sent a glare towards the woman known as Iwako Chiyoko, dispelling the light ribbons restraining her and moving to cast multiple light orbs like the ones she had used back when Kenji had fought her in the café.

"So, you've already fallen victim to that creature, then?" Greenhart noted, her voice taking a serious, battle-ready tone, "Fine. I hoped to gain information from you, but this works just as well. If you choose to act hostile, then I will be forced to beat you into submission… Vampire!"

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **AN: Well, here you go! Chapter 2, and the first cliffhanger of Volume 2! It's getting a little late, but it's still technically Friday for us going by EST, so not late! We got to see a bit more of Kaede, learned that Nakare can be a bit** **vindictive, and we got to see our first human-turned-vampire. I mean, there wasn't an opportunity for it earlier, but since it is one of the key pieces of canon about vampires we know (since we know one of the vampires who attacked Himegami Aisa turned a whole village into vampires), it's interesting it's showing up so late into this fanfiction. Still, I'm content with how I introduced it, and I feel adding it earlier would've been rushed.**

 **Anyway, it's been a pretty long day for me, so I'm going to cut this one here. Thanks for reading, and be sure to leave me a review to tell me what you thought! New chapters every Friday (EST), so I'll be back with another one next week!**


	15. Volume 2 Chapter 3 - Intensive Care Unit

**Volume 2**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Vampire in the Hospital**

 _ **Intensive_CARE_Unit.**_

 **Part 1**

"Geez… the class isn't out yet!?"

The green-haired vampire known as Miyako Mizuki was leaning against one of the tall brick pillars supporting the main gate of Fubushima Academy, a hand over her eyes as she looked towards the sky in boredom.

The girl was dressed in casual attire not entirely dissimilar to the outfit she had been wearing when she had first met Kenji in front of his school. This time however, she was wearing a regular black t-shirt rather than an open-cut top, and wore a light orange skirt rather than khaki shorts. From her mouth hung the stick from an ice cream bar she had picked up and subsequently finished on her way to the school, and she now held it loosely between her teeth as she let out a small sigh.

"I should've asked Kenji-san when he gets out of class. Ball-parking the time like this is boring…"

Mizuki closed her eyes and lowered her head. It wasn't an exceptionally hot day today, and the gates of Fubushima were shielded from the sun by the row of trees planted along the sidewalk towards the entrance. The branches of the trees closest to the gate hung over it slightly, and at this particular hour where the sun was already beginning to dip down, the trees provided ample shade. This made the area Mizuki was standing comfortably warm rather than unpleasant, and with her boredom she was almost tempted to doze off right then and there.

Still, her goal was to surprise Kenji, and while she didn't doubt Kenji exiting the school grounds to find her sitting against the pillar asleep would surprise him, she wouldn't be able to see his reaction. That kind of situation was simply no good.

As she contemplated this, the faint whirring of motors reached her ears and she opened her eyes in surprise. A cylindrical robot made its way down the sidewalk, spinning as it cleaned the already clear path of concrete. It was heading straight for Mizuki, but the green-haired vampire had already encountered these things and had been given an explanation by Kenji as to their function.

Taking the opportunity presented to her, she removed the popsicle stick from her mouth and tossed it on the ground directly in front of the street sweeper. The drum-shaped robot paused in its tracks for a moment, and while it had no way of tilting itself upwards to face Mizuki, the green-haired vampire couldn't help feel like she was being glared at for her actions.

Nevertheless, in the next moment the street sweeper started up again and passed over the offending litter, leaving no traces of the trash behind as it continued on its way.

Mizuki let out another sigh and slumped back against the pillar.

"At this rate, I should just go back and wait for Kenji-san..."

"Um, by Kenji-san, do you mean Arakuyo-san, by any chance?"

Mizuki felt her heart skip a beat as the voice before her caught her entirely off-guard and she jumped off the ground and landed a good foot from the pillar she was leaning against. As a vampire, Mizuki's senses were more advanced than those of a human's. Not only was she usually more sensitive to things like noise and scent, but for the longest time, she had been hounded by O'Reilly and Greenhart. While she still had apprehensions about the latter, she wasn't about to ignore how helpful the witch had been, and the former had rather ironically been killed by the very vampire he let loose in the first place.

In short, it had been a very long time since she felt relaxed enough to truly let down her guard, and so the quite innocuous comment sent her reeling as a result.

"Oh, geez!" the brown haired girl before her apologized, "I didn't mean to startle you! I was just wondering, since you mentioned Arakuyo-san and all…"

"Ah, it's nothing, it's nothing!" Mizuki replied, waving her hands in front of her dismissively, "I'm Miyako Mizuki, a friend of Kenji-san's… I was just waiting for him here, that's all!"

"It's nice to meet you, Miyako-san," the brown-haired girl bowed politely, "I'm Inazuma Kaede, one of Arakuyo-san's classmates. Ah, I should tell you… Arakuyo-san left class early with some blonde-haired woman. I assumed she was Arakuyo-san's girlfriend, but seeing you here waiting for him…"

Mizuki instantly caught on to what was being implied and blushed furiously, "W-w-wait! Things between me and Kenji-san… It's not like that at all!"

"Oh, so that older woman is Arakuyo-san's…"

"There's nothing going on between Kenji-san and that woman either!"

"Oh, so you know her then? Hmm… the plot thickens!"

"Geez, you're not even listening to me anymore, are you?"

Mizuki slumped back against the pillar once more and frowned. If Kenji left with Greenhart, then that meant it most likely had something to do with the vampire she had mentioned this morning. In that case, there was no telling when Kenji would return, and even if it was short, Mizuki doubted he would head back to the school before heading home.

"Anyway, if Kenji-san isn't coming after all, I've just been wasting my time here…"

The green-haired vampire pushed herself off the wall and turned away from Inazuma, preparing to head back to Kenji's dorm.

"Ah, wait, Miyako-san?" Inazuma called out, "I know you were waiting for Arakuyo-san, but I was planning on stopping by Joseph's on the way home for something to eat. I know we just met and all, but you're welcome to come with me if you want!"

Mizuki had never heard of Joseph's, and she couldn't recall spotting a restaurant by that name in the times she walked through the shopping district. Still, the offer was polite and Mizuki was going to need more friends than just Kenji if she were going to stay here from now on.

The green-haired vampire nodded, flashing Inazuma a grateful smile, "Sure! I'd love to."

"Great!" Inazuma clapped her hands together once excitedly, "then let's get going."

Mizuki let the brown-haired girl lead the way, falling into step behind her and grinning cheerily. Sitting out in the warm shade of the afternoon had her almost falling asleep earlier, but now that she had something interesting to do, she regained her energy almost immediately.

"So," Inazuma started, placing her hands behind her back and casting an inquisitive glance back towards Mizuki, "Are you sure you and Kenji aren't dating?"

Mizuki's smile faded as her face lit up once again, "O-of course not! We're just friends!"

Inazuma laughed lightheartedly and turned back around, indicating to Mizuki that the brown-haired girl was just teasing her. Putting on a fake pout, the green-haired vampire crossed her arms and huffed.

Even though she pretended to be unhappy, Mizuki felt herself smile inside. How long had it been since she could be so relaxed in public like this? How long had it been since she made a friend under normal circumstances? As Mizuki walked alongside her new companion, she silently wished these silent days could last forever.

* * *

 **Part 2**

The red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji had found himself in such an unexpected situation so suddenly.

To begin with, this was Kenji's first time hearing about a vampire turning a human into another vampire. Or rather, this was his first time hearing of such a thing happening after discovering that vampires were real. Mizuki could go out in the sunlight, cross running water, and was fine with eating garlic. Since all of these things were part of human myths about vampires, Kenji automatically assumed that all human myths about vampires were of questionable accuracy at best. As such, finding out about this so suddenly was somewhat surprising to the red-haired Esper despite the concept being rather common in fictional media.

On top of that, he and Greenhart weren't alone on the room, and even worse was that this was a hospital. It wasn't like Greenhart could fight all-out with her powerful lasers and widespread damaging light needles. Such flashy attacks could wind up injuring others or damaging something important. Kenji was a little better off fighting in such a space, but he had never gone up against a vampire before.

Still, Kenji had even bigger priorities right now. After all, no matter how well they could fight the vampire, it would be problematic if they had to protect Kurogori Akane and the nurse while fighting.

"Kurogori-san," Kenji began, turning to the blue-haired woman. She was still supporting the unconscious nurse, but her gaze was fixated on the brown-haired vampire crouched on the ground where she had landed when Greenhart restrained her. At the sound of her name being called, the blue-haired woman looked up towards the red-haired Esper.

"Take the nurse and get out of here," Kenji instructed, "Find someone who works here and get her some medical attention. We'll handle Iwako Chiyoko."

The blue-haired woman narrowed her eyes at Kenji and studied him with a pensive expression. Her eyes then shifted from Kenji to Greenhart. The blonde-haired witch was standing poised with her muscles tense, looking for any sign of movement from the human-turned-vampire.

"You two, you didn't come here looking for someone else, did you?"

Kenji was taken aback by her question, but their actions thus far definitely seemed counter to simple bystanders. To Kurogori Akane, it must've looked like they had come here specifically to stop Iwako. It wasn't exactly like she was wrong either. While they didn't come here to stop the new vampire from harming anyone, she was the one they had been meaning to talk to.

The red-haired Epsier glanced towards Greenhart, but the blonde-haired witch showed no signs of interest in responding to Akane's difficult question.

"Well," the blue-haired woman sighed, shifting the nurse so she could pick her up bridal-style and carry her, "regardless, it seems you have a greater understanding of what's going on than I do. A vampire… that's what you called Chiyo-chan, right? I'm not sure I can just accept something like that, but…"

Akane cut herself off and shook her head before grinning again, "Well, I'll leave things in your hands. Just promise me you'll help Chiyo-chan, alright?"

Kenji nodded, "Of course, you can count on us!"

With that, Akane made her way to the door of the hospital room.

The vampire crouching on the floor narrowed her eyes as the blue-haired woman reached the door with the nurse in her grasp. With a feral snarl, the vampire launched herself towards the room's entrance. Greenhart, who had been prepared for the vampire's actions, plunged her hands into one of the glowing orbs she had summoned earlier. Rather than the orb firing any sort of projectile, the glowing light morphed around her hand and formed itself into a narrow staff. As the vampire attempted to lunge past her, Greenhart drove the staff length-wise into Iwako's torso and the vampire stumbled backwards.

Akane cast one final glance upon Iwako Chiyoko before sliding the door open and tucking out of the room.

Seeing that Akane was gone, Kenji turned his attentions to Iwako as well, stepping forwards to stand right next to Greenhart.

"That was brash of you, Arakuyo-san," Greenhart noted, still keeping her eyes trained on the vampire, "After all, you have very little understanding of the circumstances yourself, right?"

As Greenhart spoke, Iwako had pulled herself off the ground and poised herself for another attack. As she lunged at Greenhart once more, the witch blocked her attack with the staff of light and swung the weapon around to spear the vampire in the stomach. The end of the pole gave off a brilliant flash of light and Iwako was sent crashing backwards into the far wall.

"Well, there's a way to help her out even though she's a vampire, isn't there?"

Greenhart cast a questioning glance towards Kenji and opened her mouth as though to respond, but before she could say anything Iwako leapt to her feet once again and charged the red-haired Esper.

Kenji braced himself for the hit, but he was not prepared for the strength Iwako possessed. As the brown-haired vampire drove a fist into Kenji's torso, the red-haired Esper staggered backwards as the air was knocked out of him by the impact. Before he could recover at all, Iwako whirled around and kicked him in the side, knocking him into the nearby wall with a loud thud.

"Arakuyo-san!"

Iwako turned to face Greenhart as she called out towards Kenji, narrowing her eyes and

clenching her teeth as the blonde-haired witch released the light staff and took a step forwards. The second her hand let go of the glowing weapon, it morphed back into an orb and each of the three orbs rotated, placing another orb in the proximity of Greenhart's hand.

Before the witch could grab it, however, Iwako turned to the wall she had thrown Kenji against and placed an open hand upon it. A glowing orange magic array appeared on the wall before her and the wall crumbled, leaving a hole into the next hospital room.

Greenhart quickly dispelled the orbs and summoned the light ribbons once more in an attempt to catch and restrain the newly-turned vampire, but the second the vampire saw the white array appear on the floor behind her, she tucked herself through the hole she made in the wall and disappeared into the next room.

"Damnit," Greenhart cursed, crossing her arms as the array she had summoned faded away uselessly, "That was an intermediate level destruction spell… there's no way such a new vampire could…"

Before she could finish, Kenji groaned and picked himself off his feet, heaving a few times as he tried to regain his breath.

"What was with… that strength…?" He asked between pained gasps.

"Oh, right," Greenhart noted, "You wouldn't know, would you? In addition to having incredible magic talent, vampires have incredible physical strength as well. In general, a human-turned vampire has only a fraction of the strength of a natural-born vampire, but the stronger the original vampire, the stronger the vampires they turn will be."

"Damn, so the vampire we looking for is even stronger than Iwako is?"

"It's likely," Greenhart replied, "but that vampire is the least of our worries right now. Come on, we can talk while we track her down."

"Right," Kenji nodded, following Greenhart as the blonde-haired witch made her way out into the hallway.

It wasn't likely that Iwako would stay in the room adjacent to her own after she made her escape, but it only took a quick peek into the darkened room to confirm she had in fact fled. Greenhart uttered a quick "follow me" and she and Kenji took down the hallway deeper into the intensive care unit.

"Where are we going?" Kenji asked, looking back and forth across the hall to catch any glimpse that the vampire was hidden in another room, "Do you know where Iwako is?"

"No," Greenhart answered honestly, "but I know what she's after. Back there, with the magic, and also her decision to flee from me rather than fight me… those are two things unusual for a newly-turned vampire. I believe it's likely that Iwako-san is being controlled by the original vampire who turned her."

"Alright, but how does that tell us what she's after?" Kenji asked, "What would the original vampire be looking for in a hospital?"

"It's simple," Greenhart replied, "Blood."

The two came to the end of the hallway and turned, but as another hallway of rooms came into view, there was still no sign of Iwako heading down this way. Still, Greenhart moved with confidence that she was right about her prediction, and so Kenji trusted her and followed behind her just as quickly.

"As I said this morning," Greenhart began, "the vampire has likely been in the Stoker's Coffin for quite some time. The Stoker's Coffin is a prison for vampires, and it keeps them in a near-death state almost constantly. Such an environment would leave any vampire weak after they emerged. I believe this is the case for the vampire that escaped in our fight with O'Reilly."

As he ran, Kenji immediately thought back to the first night he met Mizuki. She had been seriously injured by a human's standards, but the second she drank some of Kenji's blood she was able to heal her wound completely. With that kind of ability in mind, the red-haired Esper could easily understand why a weakened vampire would want to go after blood.

Still, there was something Kenji didn't quite understand.

"But wait," he frowned, "If it's the original vampire that needs blood, then why send Iwako to attack people?"

"It's a feeding strategy," Greenhart replied, "A vampire who needs a lot of blood will send numerous weaker vampires out to gorge, and drink the blood directly from them. Of course, it seems that the vampire we're trying to track down was only able to turn Iwako when they bit her. I imagine he didn't have enough strength to turn O'Reilly or the other victim when he bit them."

Kenji nodded, but before he could say anything else the two reached the end of this second hallway and came to a stop in front of one of the hospital's elevators. Greenhart pressed the button and the elevator doors opened instantly.

As the two stepped on, Greenhart pressed the button for the floor above theirs and Kenji's eyes widened in alarm.

"The fifth floor, but that's the coma ward, isn't it?" the red-haired Esper questioned in alarm as the elevator began its quick ascent.

Greenhart nodded, "Yes. I believe that's where Iwako is headed. The vampire controlling Iwako is incredibly perceptive. I only ever attacked Iwako twice, but they decided to back off because they understood that in a one-on-one fight, Iwako wouldn't stand a chance against my power. Because of that, their main priority is to gather blood through Iwako while avoiding us at all costs. It would be difficult for Iwako to flee the hospital while remaining inconspicuous, so this would be the second best place to feed."

The red-haired Esper's eyes widened as he followed Greenhart's train of thought to its conclusion, but before he could respond, the elevator doors opened and revealed the dimly lit hallway of the coma ward.

As Greenhart led the way out of the elevator, she finished her explanation, the sentence cementing Kenji's shock and disgust as the words left her lips.

"By coming here, Iwako could attack any patient she wanted and they wouldn't even be able to scream."

"That… that is…" Kenji looked over at Greenhart with wide eyes, clenching his fists together angrily.

"Kenji," Greenhart began, "your perception of vampires has been skewed by your interactions with Miyako-san. While she is a vampire, her inability to use magic and her overall weakness as a vampire makes her empathetic and very much human. To most vampires, humans are either prey or playthings, and they lack any sort of concern for the lives of others."

Kenji clenched his teeth together and frowned, turning down one of the ends of the hallway.

"Come on, we have to find her before she-"

It had been faint, but the sound of a sliding door closing reached the ears of both Kenji and Greenhart before the red-haired Esper could finish his sentence. The pair instantly whirled around to face one of the far doors where the sound had come from. Greenhart turned to Kenji and nodded silently, and the two approached the end of the hall swiftly. As the two reached the door that had closed, Kenji placed his ear upon it to listen for any sign of movement within.

In the next instant, the whole door was sent flying out of place with a strong blow, pushing Kenji back several meters and knocking him off his feet.

Before Kenji could even realize what hit him, Iwako shot out of the room and rushed down the hall in an attempt to escape. She made it about halfway down the halls before a magic array appeared beneath her and wrapped her legs with ribbons of light. The brown-haired vampire snarled and turned her head to glare at the blonde haired witch as she struggled against her bonds.

"That was a clever move, vampire," Greenhart smirked, summoning the three light orbs she had used before, "but did you honestly think I wouldn't expect a trick like that?"

Iwako didn't respond, choosing only to glare down at the bonds at her feet in irritation. She struggled against them futilely for a few moments before she stopped entirely. Her lips curled into an unsettling grin and she raised her hand and a dark purple array appeared in the air around it. She slammed he hand and the array into the ground and Greenhart's own array faded, the ribbons of light disappearing with it.

"An… an interference spell!?"

Freed from Greenhart's bindings, Iwako turned around again to flee, but once again she was met with resistance. This time, the brown-haired vampire looked down to find Kenji, still lying on the ground but gripping tightly around her ankle.

Iwako frowned and tried to pull her ankle free, but Kenji's grip held strong. As she struggled against the red-haired Esper, Kenji sprang up and delivered a strong uppercut to her jaw, sending her reeling backwards. The red-haired Esper then positioned himself so he was standing between Iwako and her previous escape route. With him and Greenhart on either side of her, Iwako was effectively boxed in.

With Greenhart behind her, Kenji knew that Iwako would try to go through him to escape, considering he was easily the lesser threat at the moment. In addition, the vampire's strength was unlike anything he had faced before. He couldn't take too many more blows from Iwako if he wanted to be of any use in the fight.

Iwako snarled and, just as anticipated, charged straight for Kenji with an arm reeled back. Kenji stepped back and to the side, barely dodging the swing as Iwako darted towards him. Kenji retaliated with a heavy kick to Iwako's side, sending her crashing into the wall of the narrow hallway.

Iwako instantly pushed off the wall and dropped low, sweeping at Kenji's legs with a powerful blow to the shin. Kenji staggered as he cried out in pain, and before he could recover, Iwako sprang upwards and slammed both of her arms into the red-haired Esper's torso.

Kenji was blown upwards far enough to slam into the ceiling, coughing as the wind was knocked out of him. As Kenji fell to the ground with a loud thud, Iwako immediately turned to dart off now that her path was clear.

That had been a mistake.

As soon as Iwako had turned her back, a powerful blow struck her in the side and she crashed roughly into the wall of the hallway. As the brown-haired vampire pulled herself to her feet, she looked up and locked eyes with Greenhart. The blonde-haired witch had summoned her orbs around her once again and the light staff she had used earlier was resting in her hands.

Iwako snarled viciously at Greenhart and launched herself forward, reeling her arm back as she lunged. The blonde-haired witch brought her staff up to block the attack, then swiveled the pole of light around and drove it into Iwako's side again. As the brown-haired vampire reeled back from the impact, Greenhart twirled the staff around yet again and struck Iwako's face, causing her head to whip back sharply.

Greenhart moved to strike Iwako once again, but the brown-haired vampire recovered quickly and blocked her light staff with one of her arms. Before the witch could withdraw her weapon or grab another from her orbs, Iwako swung forwards and drove a fist into Greenhart's torso sharply.

The witch doubled over and winced, and Iwako was able to whirl around and deliver a strong kick to Greenhart's side, sending her careening into the opposite wall. With Greenhart distanced, Iwako looked for an opening, only to be met with a heavy punch to the jaw as she tried to turn around.

In the time she and Greenhart had been fighting, Kenji had recovered and was back on his feet. Iwako barred her fangs at the red-haired Esper and lunged again, but Kenji had been prepared for it. The Esper dodged her attack and delivered a swift punch to her torso, causing Iwako to stagger backwards and cough once. While she was still recovering, Kenji whirled around and delivered a strong kick to her stomach, knocking the vampire onto the tiled floor of the hallway.

Iwako attempted to pull herself to her feet, but Greenhart planted a foot firmly on the vampire's back and summoned more light ribbons to hold her in place. As the blonde-haired witch stood over the captive vampire, she released her staff and reached for one of the other orbs of light. Iwako struggled underneath her as she grasped the second orb and it took on the shape of a western longsword.

Greenhart placed the sharp tip of the light sword against the back of Iwako's neck and the vampire's struggling ceased.

Satisfied that Iwako would stay put, Greenhart held up her other arm and the grimoire that sat in her hand. She released the old tome and it began floating on its own volition, flipping itself to a predetermined page before lowering back into the witch's hand.

As Greenhart gazed at the page, a dark red magic array appeared around the array producing the light ribbons, and Greenhart stepped off Iwako's back. As she stepped back, five points on the circle of the array turned a light blue, and the color began to spread outward, overtaking the dark red glow. The vampire began struggling once more as the array shifted, crying out and clawing at the tiled floor as the whole array shifted. Once the array had turned completely, the vampire fell motionless and Greenhart allowed both arrays to fade.

Kenji looked up at the blonde-haired witch with a puzzled expression on his face, then back down at Iwako with a look of concern.

"What did you do to her? Is she alright?"

Kenji moved in to check on Iwako, but stopped when Greenhart held her arm up in alarm.

"Arakuyo-san, wait! She's still a vampire," the blonde-haired witch called out, "All I did was cancel the original vampire's mind control over her. She's still dangerous."

Just then, Iwako stirred and began to pull herself upright, and Greenhart acted immediately. The blonde-haired witch sprang forward and pressed the tip of her light blade against Iwako's neck as the brown-haired vampire moved to a seated position on the ground. Feeling the sharp pain, Iwako's eyes darted upwards and she met the stern gaze of Greenhart.

"Greenhart!" Kenji yelled, "Stop! She was being controlled before, don't be so harsh to her!"

The blonde-haired witch shifted her glare from Iwako to Kenji and frowned, "Did you not hear me earlier? It is in a vampire's nature to disregard the lives of humans! If this Iwako Chiyoko shows to possess that malevolence, I cannot allow her to leave here alive!"

"Then change her back into a human! You can do that, right? Some sort of cleansing or purification spell?"

"I can't!" Greenhart yelled, "I can't turn her back! Do you know how much power is needed to reverse a complete physiological change in a person? If I had gotten to her before she had turned completely, I might have been able to reverse the spell, but she's beyond my saving now. We have to kill her!"

"But that's-!" Kenji began, but paused when the sound of sobbing reached his ears. Greenhart heard it too, and the two looked down at Iwako in surprise.

The brown-haired vampire was hunched over, with her shoulders trembling and tears dripping onto the tile floor beneath her. Greenhart, who was taken aback by the response, pulled the light sword back and looked on in confusion.

"Are... are... they okay?" Iwako asked between sobs, wiping tears as they streamed from her eyes, "Are Akane-chan and the nurse okay?"

Kenji turned to Greenhart and the blonde-haired witch sighed, relaxing and dispelling her light orbs.

"Yeah, Kurogori-san wasn't hurt at all, and she took the nurse to receive medical attention, I'm sure they're both alright," Kenji reassured the brown-haired vampire, "It wasn't your fault anyway. You were being controlled, after all."

Iwako nodded and allowed herself a weak smile wiping the tears from her eyes, "Thank goodness they're alright... I'm sorry for causing you too so... much... trouble..."

Iwako trailed off and collapsed onto the ground, understandably exhausted from the whole ordeal she had been put through. Kenji's eyes widened and he looked upon her in concern, but he soon noticed her chest rising and falling rhythmically, and she wore a peaceful expression on her face. She was only sleeping.

Greenhart sighed and made her way over to the brown-haired vampire.

"Somehow, she managed to hold onto her humanity as well…" Greenhart noted, "She has an incredibly resilient will."

"Let's hand Iwako-san over to someone who works here," Greenhart replied, bending over and hoisted the vampire up in her arms. She turned her back to Kenji and headed off to the elevator, pausing to say one more thing to the red-haired high school student "You should rest up for tonight. Tomorrow we'll face the vampire head-on."

"Wait," Kenji asked, falling into step behind her, "You know where they are?"

Greenhart shook her head, "Not exactly, but when I removed the original vampire's influence over Iwako-san, I took that time to lock onto where the source of their magic was coming from. Now, even if they move, I'll be able to track them down."

"Then shouldn't we move as quickly as possible?" Kenji asked, "If we wait, the vampire will only find more victims, right?"

"Perhaps, but I doubt it," Greenhart noted, "body-controlling spells are difficult to maintain, and if the vampire was already weakened, then they're definitely not going too far tonight. I doubt they'd even have the ability to turn another person if they encountered one, anyway. Besides, you look pretty worse for wear."

Kenji had a few cuts and bruises from the fight from earlier, and his uniform was slightly torn in a few places.

"Heh, I guess resting up a little bit would be for the best," Kenji agreed, "Besides, Mizuki-san is probably wondering where I-"

Kenji trailed off and stopped in his tracks, eyes widening as he gazed past Greenhart.

Greenhart turned around to look at what Kenji had spotted, but all that was behind her was a normal hospital room.

"Kenji, are you-"

"That… that name next to the door…" Kenji replied in shock, "That's impossible… that name is..."

Greenhart turned around. The name was printed on what looked to be an index card and slid into a plastic frame hung just below the room number. It was likely the name of the person currently occupying that room. On that particular card, here in the middle of the coma ward, was written a single name.

 _Ikazuchi Kaede_

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **AN: Here's Chapter 3! Hope you guys enjoyed! Fun Fact: When I was first writing the prologue for Volume 2, I was planning on making Iwako another victim of the vampire, but I decided against it. I was also going to kill her off at the end of this chapter, but once again I decided against it in favor of keeping a human-turned-vampire around for later story arcs.**

 **In addition to that, an anonymous reviewer asked me a rather interesting question: "What about canon characters like Kamijou Touma and Index?"  
The answer to this question is rather interesting. This story is taking place in the same universe as the canon story, so theoretically, the main characters could very well run into canon characters like this. Certain characters, like Aleister Crowley, are generally assumed to be aware of certain actions or events, like the destruction of the parking garage, though whether or not he knows Kenji was behind it or that vampires are involved is questionable. I can say that a couple of canon characters, or otherwise characters that aren't specifically canon but can be assumed to exist given canon evidence, will play a major role in the next volume. As for this volume, however, canon characters do appear, and I currently have no plans for Kenji to meet Kamijou Touma or Index in the future.  
**

 **Another reviewer also posted an interesting suggestion. A while back, in response to an incredulous reviewer's rejection of the idea that Kenji can manipulate mass without breaking the law of conservation thereof, I stated that I hadn't explained how Kenji manipulates mass, and then went on to give an admittedly flimsy way his manipulation works (I wasn't really trying to find a infallible explanation, I just wanted to acknowledge the fact that I wasn't breaking any universal laws of physics, here, at least not with Kenji). The reviewer brought up the Higgs field, and because I feel that Kenji being able to manipulate how the Higgs field interacts with objects, rather than the explanation I gave, is way more elegant. As I said before, I never really intended to get in-depth with how Kenji's power worked in-story, so this doesn't change a whole lot, but official fanfiction-canon of Kenji's powers is now that he manipulates how an object interacts with the Higgs field, which changes it's mass without changing how much matter it's comprised of.**

 **Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the story! As always, leave me a review to tell me what you thought, or if you have any questions or comments. New chapters are released on Fridays (EST), usually in the evening or night, so I'll be back with another one next week!**


	16. Volume 2 Chapter 4 - False Smiles

**_VOLUME 2_**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Ikazuchi Kaede**

 _ **False_SMILE.**_

 **Part 1**

The green-haired vampire known as Miyako Mizuki walked down the streets of the shopping district between Kenji's dorm and Fubushima Academy. Before her, walking a little ahead of her and to her right, was the brown-haired girl known as Ikazuchi Kaede.

She had met the brown-haired girl just earlier that day while waiting for Kenji at his school. Kenji had gone running off with Greenhart for some reason or another, so Ikazuchi invited the green-haired girl to come along and have lunch with her. It was for this very reason they were walking through the shopping district.

They had been walking around for quite a while, Ikazuchi leading the way as they weaved through other students and pedestrians making their way through the shopping district. Ikazuchi had told her that it was normally busier around here at this time, but since school was out, there weren't the droves of students just getting out of class like she had.

The two had settled into a somewhat odd silence. They had conversed a little bit about small things, but Mizuki was a little disheartened about how little they had in common. She supposed she shouldn't be too surprised. After all, she wasn't even human, and there was no way Ikazuchi could relate to the kind of on-edge, ever-changing life Mizuki had been forced to lead. Still, she wished that she could think of something to break through the uncomfortable silence that had settled between them.

Ikazuchi saved her the trouble. The brown-haired girl before her turned her head backwards to face Mizuki, smiling warmly as she continued to walk forwards.

"Hey, Mizuki-san?"

"Yeah?" the green-haired vampire tilted her head slightly, waiting for Ikazuchi to finish her question.

"Out of curiosity, how long have you known Arakuyo-kun?" the brown-haired girl questioned, "I mean, he hasn't really mentioned you at all, so I was wondering if you had met recently or something."

"Well," Mizuki began, pausing to place a finger on her lip in thought, "Truthfully, it really hasn't been that long since I first met Kenji-san. It's actually weird to think about, since we've been through a lot together already."

"Oho~?" Ikazuchi tilted her head at Mizuki's words, casting the green-haired vampire a wry smile, "That sounds cute!"

"W-what! No no no!" Mizuki replied, eyes wide in embarrassment, "I didn't mean it like that… it's just… I was in a bit of a bind, and Kenji-san saved me, so I guess it just feels like he's done a lot for me, is what I meant."

Ikazuchi smiled, nodding, "Yeah, Arakuyo-kun is the kind of person who goes out of his way to save people, even people he doesn't know. I'm not really close with Arakuyo-kun, to be honest, but he seems like the kind of person who hates to see others suffer. That's why I-"

The brown-haired girl shook her head, cutting herself off, "Well, it doesn't really matter."

Mizuki gave Ikazuchi a puzzled look, but she opted not to pry. Still, the comment made her curious. If Ikazuchi wasn't close to Kenji, then who was?

" _I just realized it now, but… I don't know much about Kenji-san's social life. I haven't seen him hang out with many people… but he has to have some friends here, right?"_

"We're here!"

Ikazuchi's abrupt exclamation startled Mizuki out of her thoughts, and the green-haired girl looked up. Ikazuchi was right. Before them, along one of the streets in the shopping district, was a simply designed but vibrantly painted building. Sandy yellow walls were highlighted with red-framed windows, and red-and-white striped awnings protruded out over the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. The name "Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant" hung above the doors, and Mizuki could smell the sweet scent of coffee and home-style cooking.

"Let's go in, Miyako-san!" Ikazuchi smiled, rushing over to the door and swinging it open. She turned to the green-haired girl and beamed happily, holding the door open.

Mizuki nodded and smiled as well, stepping into the restaurant. She could worry about Kenji's social life later. After all, she was working on forging her own right now.

* * *

 **Part 2**

The red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji stared upon the name written upon the small card labeling the door to one of the rooms in the coma ward.

Ikazuchi Kaede.

The name belonged to the brown-haired classmate Kenji had seen just this morning. Therein lied the problem. If Kaede was truly in a coma, there would have been no way she could just casually attend the supplementary courses. Since Kenji had seen her walking around, energetic and perfectly healthy, there was no way Kaede was here in this section of the hospital.

Yet it was her name that was unmistakably written upon the door's label.

In his mind, Kenji came up with two possible explanations to solve this discrepancy.

It could have been that Kaede had been released from the coma ward recently, and they had not yet changed the sign to reflect this. While the door was labeled "Ikazuchi Kaede", the person inside, if there was one at this point, would be someone else entirely.

This was the more mundane explanation. Yet Kenji couldn't help but feel something unsettling about all of this.

"Ikazuchi Kaede," Greenhart read aloud, placing a curious finger upon her lip, "Wait, isn't that the name of the girl you were talking to on the roof before we left? What's her name doing here?"

"That's what I want to know," Kenji replied.

The red-haired Esper frowned, stepping forwards and making his way over to the door.

If Kaede was behind it, unconscious, his mundane explanation would be thrown out the window.

Kenji slid open the door to the dark hospital room and he stepped in. The hallway was dimly lit as it was, but the room was kept even darker. Thick blinds covered the window and a heavy curtain blotted out what was left of the light. Aside from the light flickering in from behind Kenji, the only light in the room was coming from the dimly lit heart monitor and machines hooked up to a petite figure resting on the bed.

Kenji reached for the wall and fumbled for the light switch, flicking it on swiftly and answering his question once and for all.

There, sitting on the bed, was the unconscious form of Ikazuchi Kaede.

The mundane explanation for why Kaede's name was written on the door was wrong. This left the only other reason the red-haired Esper could come up with for why he had seen Kaede earlier despite her being in the coma ward.

" _If Kaede-chan is here… then… was the Kaede-chan I saw earlier a fake!?"_

Kenji would've never come to such a conclusion before he was exposed to the Magic Side. After all, aside from Espers who could alter people's perceptions, such a thing would be rather difficult to pull off with scientific abilities. Yet after being exposed to but a handful of the fantastical powers magicians could possess, disguising oneself was not something he considered out of the realm of possibility.

"That's her alright… Hmmm…."

Greenhart frowned and placed Iwako in one of the chairs laid out for visitors before stepping forwards. With a flick of her wrist, she flipped her grimoire open and a light blue magic array formed around Kaede's sleeping form. The array passed over the brown-haired figure and rotated a few times before disappearing, and Greenhart's frown turned into a look of surprise.

"What kind of… this spell…" the blonde-haired witch gasped, eyes widening.

"What's wrong?" Kenji asked, giving Greenhart a concerned glance.

"Ikazuchi Kaede's being kept asleep by high-level magic," the blonde-haired witch stated, concern clear in her tone, "It's a body alteration spell that borrows both the appearance and memories of the person being affected."

"So, the Kaede-chan I was talking to earlier is actually a magician?" Kenji asked in alarm.

"Yes… but not just any magician. I believe this is the work of that vampire hunter I mentioned earlier. This spell is a high level body alteration spell that requires years of training to master. I can think of only one person who can use this type of spell to this degree at such a long range, and he's a powerful vampire hunter from the Irish Catholic Church."

Kenji clenched his fists, "So, this vampire hunter put Kaede in the hospital so he could use her appearance to move around? But why Kaede? If this hunter was sent to retrieve the vampire from the Stoker's Coffin O'Reilly was given, then what use would he have for posing as a student of Fubushima Academy?"

Greenhart crossed her arms and frowned, "I'd hate to think like this, but it's possible he's also here to accomplish what O'Reilly couldn't… securing and capturing the Class F vampire Miyako Mizuki. If that's the case, then he might have already made the connection between you and Miyako-san."

Kenji's eyes widened, "No… no… that's…! Greenhart, is it possible to locate the vampire hunter using the spell cast over Kaede?"

The blonde-haired witch looked taken aback by the urgency of Kenji's tone, but nodded regardless.

"The spell essentially acts as a two-way relay. Drawing memories and form from the victim and sending back experiences to ensure the fake Ikazuchi-san responds in accordance with her real counterpart. I can track where the spell is coming from, but unlike with Iwako-san, I can't cancel the spell."

"Huh?" Kenji asked, tilting his head to the side in a puzzled manner, "Why can't you cancel this one? Is it that much more advanced?"

Greenhart shook her head, "Not exactly. I guess, rather than 'I can't cancel this spell', it's more 'I can't cancel this spell without endangering Ikazuchi's body'. This hasn't been relevant to you, so I haven't mentioned it until now, but magic energy is actually rejected by an Esper's body. Normally, being in a magic environment itself is enough to incapacitate an Esper with crippling injuries. Even the spell Ikazuchi-san is being exposed to now is likely damaging her slowly, but the spell was carefully constructed to separate as much of the magic from Ikazuchi as possible. If I were to try to cancel the spell like this, I could wind up injuring her much more severely."

Kenji nodded in understanding, "That's fine, if he's looking for Mizuki-san, he'll come to us soon enough, but right now I just want to make sure she's safe."

Greenhart nodded, raising the tome in her hands and flipping until she reached another page. This time, a light yellow, triangular array appeared in the air over Kaede and raised vertically to reveal a sky view of District 7. It zoomed in until it was showing the shopping district between Kenji's dorm and Fubushima Academy.

"That's as close as I can get it," Greenhart replied, "Any further and Ikazuchi-san might be in danger."

Kenji frowned, "He's closer to the dorm than I would've liked… just to make sure, can you track down Mizuki-san?"

Greenhart nodded, "Yeah, give me a sec…"

This tracking spell seemed to be entirely different, for rather than summoning any sort of array, the blonde-haired witch merely closed her eyes and her whole body began to glow a dark red. As Greenhart concentrated on tracking Mizuki, the yellow tracking spell she had called for tracking down the imposter Kaede faded, leaving the room dark aside from the faint red light coming from the witch.

Suddenly, Greenhart's eyes shot open and she cast Kenji an alarmed glance, "For some reason… Miyako-san is also in the shopping district right now!"

Kenji's eyes widened in alarm, "Are you kidding me!? We have to make sure the fake Kaede isn't closing in on Mizuki-san!"

"Right," Greenhart nodded, "I'm going to pass Iwako-san over to one of the doctors here and then we can head over and find Miyako-san."

Greenhart moved quickly to the chair and hoisted Iwako back up in her arms before making her way out the door. Kenji followed quickly behind her, turning off the light behind him as he moved past the switch on his way out.

Kenji stopped and looked back upon the unconscious Kaede, fists clenching as he thought about the vampire hunter who put her in here to begin with.

"Don't worry, Kaede-chan… The person who did this to you… I'll kick their ass, so hang in there, alright?"

* * *

 **Part 3**

"Wow! You were right, this is really good!" Mizuki smiled, fork clutched tightly in her hand as she savored the taste of the cake she had ordered. She beamed across the table at the brown-haired girl across from her, "Thanks!"

"Don't mention it!" Ikazuchi grinned back, "I would've wound up eating here alone otherwise. Thanks for tagging along!"

Mizuki nodded, taking another bite of her cake. Ikazuchi sat across from her, enjoying a moderately-sized chocolate parfait with a smile on her face.

"Man, there's nothing like enjoying a refreshing treat after a day of school…" The brown-haired sighed contentedly. "Especially a hot day in the middle of summer like this."

"That reminds me," Mizuki looked over at Ikazuchi with a puzzled expression, "Ikazuchi-san, why are you in the supplementary course in the first place?"

"A-ah… well… that's…" Kaede looked away, obviously embarrassed by the question.

Mizuki frowned, eyes widening in realization, "Ah! Sorry, that kinda stuff is private! I shouldn't pry…"

"No, no, it's fine!" Ikazuchi smiled, "It's just a little embarrassing, that's all… See, I'm a Level 0, so I'm not really good at some of the more complex concepts Espers with abilities can understand. Someone like me normally wouldn't even be able to get into Fubushima Academy, but I worked really hard to get in, because I wanted to prove I could! But now I feel as though I'm in over my head…"

"Don't give up, Ikazuchi!" Mizuki smiled, grabbing the girl's hands across the table, "I understand what it's like having no powers! It feels frustrating, like you get this feeling you're supposed to be able to do something, but you can't! But you've made it this far already, so you really shouldn't give up!"

Ikazuchi smiled and nodded, "T-thank you, Mizuki-san. Thank you…"

Suddenly, her grin twisted into an unsettling smirk that made Mizuki recoil. The green-haired vampire tried to draw her hands back, but Ikazuchi had grabbed her wrists and was clutching onto them tightly.

"Thank you for telling me everything I needed to know, vampire!"

Mizuki's eyes widened in shock, when Ikazuchi hoisted her up into the air with one hand and drove a fist into her torso with another. She released the vampire as the force of the impact sent her flying backwards, crashing through the window and tumbling out into the street outside the restaurant.

Mizuki crawled to her feet, noticing the lack of shocked gasps and concerned glances from pedestrians nearby. She cast her head left and right, looking for other people on the streets of the usually bustling shopping district. However, all she was met with was the sight of eerily empty streets.

"Oh, you hadn't noticed? All the people in this area have been sent away. It's just you and me here," Ikazuchi replied, "Look at you, letting your guard down so easily! From the reports from hunters who came before me, I was sure you would be more on-guard. Is this Arakuyo Kenji such a person, that saving you from one magician was enough to get you to relax entirely!?"

"So, you're working with the Irish Catholic Church?" Mizuki frowned, glaring, "But why lead me here, why not just attack me straight-up?"

"I had to wait to be sure you were the vampire I was looking for before I attacked," Ikazuchi grinned, "I had my suspicions from the beginning, but you admitting you were powerless told me all I needed to know."

Mizuki grit her teeth, glaring daggers at Ikazuchi, "That's gutless, tricking me into believing you were one of Kenji's classmates…"

"Oh, but I am! To some extent, at least. This spell is…"

Ikazuchi cut herself off, frowning slightly and looking behind her as though there was something Mizuki couldn't see.

"Well, this is rather inconvenient," the girl spoke in an irritated tone, "It seems like those two friends of yours managed to discover my spell. It's only a matter of time before they return. I would've liked to talk with you a bit longer, but-"

Without waiting for Ikazuchi to finish, a furious Mizuki launched herself forwards and drove her fist into Ikazuchi's face. The brown-haired girl lost her grip and stumbled backwards suddenly, grunting as she was caught off-guard. The figure of Ikazuchi Kaede began to shimmer and dissolve away, disappearing completely in a flash of light as the magician's true form was revealed.

The magician was clearly male, with a gruff face and harsh features contorted into a disturbing smile. His dark brown hair was neatly combed back and spiked outwards when it reached his neck, and his eyes were an intense yellow color, looking almost reptilian in nature. The man possessed a rather tall, lanky figure, a stark contrast to the petite figure Ikazuchi possessed.

The man's attire was clearly based on catholic robes, but unlike O'Reilly's garbs, which had been primarily white, this magician's robes were primarily black, and had been modified to function more like a long coat. The dark robes were open in the front and had buckles along the front for fastening, and it didn't extend nearly as far down as traditional priest robes. Underneath the robes, the man wore rather casual clothing. He wore a pair of black slacks that blended in with the dark color of his robes, as well as a gold-colored shirt with a purple cross pattern across the front.

The man slowly raised his hand to his face, wiping a thin trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth from Mizuki's earlier punch.

"That... that was…!"

Before the man could finish, Mizuki lunged forwards and landed a strong kick to his abdomen, sending him stumbling backwards as he coughed from the impact. Mizuki didn't give him time to recover, closing the distance and delivering another strong punch to the magician's face.

She moved to deliver another strong kick to the lanky man, but he recovered in time to dodge backwards, looking upon her in surprise.

"You… What's with that strength? Most vampires are normally physically stronger than humans, but you were supposed to be weaker than this!" the man exclaimed indignantly, "All the reports claimed you'd flee without fighting! If you had this kind of strength from the beginning, why not use it?"

Mizuki lowered her head, her eyes obscured by her bangs as a deep frown crossed her features.

"There's a difference between having strength and having the will to fight."

The man tilted his head, arching his eyebrows and crossing his arms in disbelief, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The green-haired vampire clenched her fists as she continued to look down.

"Before, fighting was pointless. Even if I drove off one magician, another one would just take their place. Even with my strength, I wouldn't be able to beat everyone who was sent to capture me. All I'd be doing was delaying the inevitable and endangering those around me, so I ran," Mizuki answered, raising her head to glare at the brown-haired magician before her, "But now, I have a reason to fight! I snuck into Academy City as a last resort, giving up what little I had just to get in, only to find that you magicians wouldn't be stopped by agreements or borders. When I was attacked, I gave up hope. But then Kenji-san saved me, and he's kept fighting for me since then. I've come to enjoy the life I have now. I've come to treasure the time I have here. I won't let you take it away from me now!"

At those last words, Mizuki launched herself forwards with incredible speed, reeling her arm back for a punch. However, as she reached the brown-haired magician and drove her fist forwards, the man smiled.

The magician raised his hand and caught her punch effortlessly, stopping Mizuki in her tracks. Grabbing her fist tightly, the magician swung Mizuki upwards and tossed her into the air above him. Then the lanky man interlocked both arms and bashed the green-haired vampire as she fell, sending her crashing through the window display of a nearby café.

"Impressive, so you've found that will to fight, did you?" the man taunted, watching as Mizuki painfully struggled to her feet, "It's a shame it won't be enough."

The green-haired vampire coughed a few times, having had the wind knocked out of her by an insanely powerful blow. There were a few superficial cuts and scrapes from breaking through the glass, but they began to heal as she stood up. With heavy breaths, she stood upright and looked upon the man with wide eyes.

"What the hell!? You were surprised with my strength earlier, but that was…!"

The man's lips cured in a manic grin as he laughed to himself, spreading his arms outwards as though to show off.

"It's true that vampires naturally have strength that surpasses that of humans," he began, "but vampires also use a technique that allows them to further augment their strength with magic. As a magician accustomed to body-altering spells, I was able to learn their technique and make it my own. I am a magician with the incredible strength of a vampire! My name is Darrian Stormwall, and I will break that fighting spirit you have since discovered!"

Darrian launched himself forwards towards Mizuki, pushing off the ground at an alarmingly fast speed. Mizuki barely managed to dodge as the magician swung his fist, striking the air next to her head as she weaved. She ducked low and tried to trip the lanky man up with a sweeping kick, but Darrian read her movements and jumped over her leg as she swung. He then kicked forwards, taking advantage of the opening Mizuki had given her, and his foot slammed hard into the green-haired vampire's face.

Mizuki stumbled backwards, catching herself with her elbows as she looked up at Darrian angrily. The brown-haired man grinned sadistically and raised his foot, preparing to drive it down upon Mizuki while she was on the floor. Mizuki curled her legs upwards as Darrian drove his foot down, kicking Darrian with both of her feet and knocking him back. She then rolled into an upright position and launched herself towards the brown-haired magician.

Mizuki reached Darrian and whirled around, delivering a strong kick to the magician's side. However, rather than reacting, Darrian stood firm and grabbed her leg with both hands. Using himself as a pivot, the brown-haired vampire swung Mizuki around a few times by her leg and released her, sending her flying and crashing into the wall of another storefront.

"Now do you see how futile it is, vampire?" Darrian grinned, "You're inability to use magic leaves you no match for someone like me."

Mizuki clenched her teeth together as she pulled herself off the ground yet again.

"Even if that were true, I told you I can't give up," Mizuki retorted, glaring at Darrian with fire burning in her emerald eyes, "I won't give up the happiness I've found here!"

The green-haired vampire launched herself forwards again, trying once more to punch the brown-haired magician in the face. However, Darrian was still too fast, effortlessly dodging the attack and countering with his own punch, landing a powerful hit to her stomach. The strike sent her doubling over, and as she fought the urge to vomit, Darrian delivered a strong uppercut to her with his other fist. As she stumbled backwards, the lanky man continued his assault, bashing her in the side with both of his arms, then punching her torso three times in quick succession.

Mizuki stumbled over onto her side, landing harshly at Darrian's feet as she collapsed in pain. The brown-haired magician didn't let her rest, however, driving his foot into the vampire's fallen form. Mizuki coughed up blood as the lanky man's foot struck her stomach, and Darrian's lips curled into a sick grin.

"Not so haughty now, are you, vampire?" Darrian mocked, kicking her again and again, "I will be cemented as the vampire hunter that finally caught the pesky Class-F that managed to evade even the most skilled hunters in the past!"

Darrian continued to relentlessly kick Mizuki while she lay collapsed on the floor, laughing sadistically as the green-haired vampire cried out in pain again and again. Darrian then paused, reeling his foot back and changing the angle, aiming for a nasty kick to Mizuki's face. As his foot swung forwards, however, Mizuki grabbed at it and blocked the attack.

"W-wha-"

In the next instant, the vampire raised the fabric of the man's pant leg and plunged her fangs into the man's leg, finding arteries and draining blood out of the magician.

"What the!? Get the hell off me, you bitch!"

Darrian panicked, tugging at his leg frantically to get the vampire to let go, but Mizuki held firm and continued to drink his blood. Enraged, Darrian reeled his leg back and delivered a strong kick to the vampire's head, finally getting the green-haired vampire to let go. However, it was already too late. The bruises and cuts riddling Mizuki's form began to fade and vanish, and the green-haired vampire picked herself off the ground.

"Your blood tastes like shit, but it was better than losing here," Mizuki replied, glaring at Darrian, "I told you, I'm not giving up!"

Darrian glared daggers at the green-haired vampire, face contorted into an ugly expression of pure rage.

"I'll kill you, you damn vampire!" Darrian yelled, "I'll drive you into the ground until there's nothing left of you to heal!"

The brown-haired magician kicked off the ground and lunged at Mizuki, but the green-haired vampire predicted the charge and dodged lithely out of Darrian's path. As Darrian's punch missed Mizuki entirely, the green-haired vampire whirled around and kicked the lanky man in the side. As Darrian stumbled backwards, Mizuki launched into a fierce follow-up attack.

She drove her right fist into the magician's face, then she followed up with a fierce strike to the man's solar plexus. As the wind was knocked out of him, Darrian staggered forwards, only for Mizuki to drive her knee into his head as he doubled over.

Darrian recovered swiftly and barred his teeth at the green-haired vampire, lunging forwards and reeling his arm back for a punch. Mizuki caught his punch, but the force drove her back and she was thrown off-balance. Darrian followed up with a swift punch to her stomach, but it lacked the huge force his other punch had as he had no time to wind up.

Mizuki recovered quickly and returned with a strong upper-cut to Darrian's jaw. The lanky man staggered backwards a few steps, but recovered and whirled around to kick the vampire in front of him. Mizuki blocked the high kick with her arm and pushed it back, knocking Darrian off-balance. Taking her chance, Mizuki followed up with a kick of her own, whirling around and aiming at the brown-haired magician's head.

Darrian regained his poise and ducked under the attack just in time for Mizuki's leg to soar right over his head. The brown-haired magician grinned and rose forwards for a punch, but Mizuki was prepared for a counterattack. She allowed the momentum of the kick to carry her around fully, used that force catch Darrian's fist in her hand without staggering.

Irritated that his attack had failed, Darrian brought another fist forwards as he reeled his first one back. Mizuki dodged to the side effortlessly, grinning as Darrian's fist soared past her head. She reached up and caught his arm before he could pull it back, catching the brown-haired magician off guard. Holding him in place, Mizuki raised her leg and yanked the lanky man forwards, driving her foot into his stomach as she pulled him into the kick.

Darrian coughed up blood and staggered backwards as Mizuki released his arm. The green-haired vampire then reeled her arm backwards and stepped forwards, delivering a strong punch to the magician's face.

Darrian's face twisted into an expression of anger and disbelief as he raised his hand to his nose, pulling back to find blood trickling from his nostrils. There was a stream of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth yet again, and the beginnings of a bruise were starting to form on his left cheek.

"How… how!?" Darrian screamed indignantly, "Why is this happening!? I was wiping the floor with you before, but now you're keeping up with me!? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE!?"

"Your body's still recovering from having blood drained out of it," Mizuki answered, "You might not notice the effects consciously, but your movements have become just that much slower since I bit you. You're still stronger than me, but as long as I can dodge your attacks and read your movements, your strength is useless."

Darrian's eyes widened and he gritted his teeth together angrily, making incoherent, angry grunts as he glared at Mizuki. Then, he stopped, standing up completely straight and letting out a deep breath.

"Hehehehehe…. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Darrian laughed, placing a hand over his head and running it through his hair, a manic grin spread across his face, "I can't believe you were so stupid as to actually tell me that! If you had kept your damn mouth shut, you might've been able to win this fight! I told you, I'm a mage that specializes in body-altering magic!"

Darrian held out both his arms and a circular, light blue magic array appeared on the ground below him. It began rotating, the blue light pulsing as it span, and slowly began to pass over Darrian's form. As it went, a dim blue glow surrounded the lanky man's form. Once it passed over the brown-haired magician's head, it dispersed in a flash of light and Darrian's form was outlined with a bright blue glow.

Darrian grinned at the vampire before him and crouched before launching himself forwards with tremendous speed. Before Mizuki even knew what was happening, Darrian drove his fist into the green-haired vampire's stomach. As Mizuki doubled over, Darrian weaved behind her before she could catch sight of him and slammed his foot sharply into the vampire's side.

As Mizuki was sent flying sideways, Darrian quickly snatched her leg and reeled her back in, punching her hard in the face before tossing her behind him casually. The green-haired vampire slammed against a bike rack positioned just outside an arcade, coughing as her back struck the twisted metal poles and knocked the wind out of her.

Mizuki looked up to find Darrian with his back turned, glaring back at her with sadistic eyes.

"This spell can increase the speed at which I move by making me 'like the wind'. It clearly makes up for any drop in speed I suffered thanks to your feast back there," Darrian mocked, "Now, be a good girl and stay down there so I don't have to break every bone in your body."

Darrian turned his back on Mizuki completely, turning around so he could no longer see the vampire collapsed on the ground. Mizuki summoned up her strength and shifted herself forwards, watching Darrian carefully for any signs he was planning on attacking.

Using the bike rack behind her, Mizuki pulled herself upright and glared daggers at the back of Darrian's head.

As soon as Mizuki was standing up, she crouched carefully, making sure Darrian wasn't looking at her. The green-haired vampire's muscles tensed up and the vampire prepared to attack the brown-haired magician.

"Tsk tsk… you really should've just stayed down, vampire."

Before Mizuki could strike, Darrian turned around and punched Mizuki in the face. As the green-haired vampire stumbled backwards, Darrian followed up with a strike to her side, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Mizuki grit her teeth, pulling herself upright and turning to meet Darrian's gaze as he stared down at her condescendingly.

" _Damnit… this is bad! Darrian said that Kenji-san was on his way here, but I don't want to keep being a burden to him like this! I need to figure out how to beat him!"_

The Green-haired vampire pulled herself to her feet and whirled around, attempting to kick Darrian in the side. Predictably, Darrian blocked her leg and leaned forward, driving his fist forwards into Mizuki's stomach before she could react. Mizuki doubled over and gazed upon Darrian's arm as he pulled it back, noticing the blue light surrounding it flickering ever-so-slightly as he moved.

As Mizuki stumbled backwards, Darrian grabbed the vampire's head and raised his knee, driving her face into is as he brought it upwards. He then released her head and kicked her torso, sending her tumbling onto the ground once more.

Mizuki grit her teeth as she looked backwards before pulling herself off the ground. This time, however, rather than charging at Darrian again, Mizuki turned around and bolted down the street away from the brown-haired magician.

Darrian's looked on indignantly at the fleeing form of the green-haired vampire, frowning as he crouched low.

"Have you forgotten that I now possess incredible speed?" Darrian asked, lips curling up into a crazed grin, "How do you plan on fleeing from me like this!?"

The magician launched forward at an alarming speed, closing the distance Mizuki's head start had given her in an instant. Once he was close enough to the vampire, Darrian stretched out his arm in an attempt to grab her.

Mizuki saw Darrian's move and dodged the lanky man's grab, turning directions entirely and rushing down an alleyway between two streets. The brown-haired magician turned on a dime to follow her, speeding up to close the gap between them.

Once the lanky man had caught up to Mizuki, Darrian ran up next to Mizuki and threw a quick jab her way. The green-haired vampire anticipated the attack and weaved away at the last second, letting the brown-haired magician punch the air uselessly as she continued to run.

Darrian growled in frustration and adjusted his path so he was once again alongside Mizuki, this time targeting her legs in an attempt to impede her escape. He darted forwards and dropped low, sweeping at the vampire's ankles with a powerful kick. Mizuki, already running, leapt clean over the attack without missing a step and continued on past the magician.

Because Darrian had to stop completely to perform the attack, Mizuki was able to gain some distance on the lanky man. The green-haired vampire darted lithely down another alleyway before Darrian could turn around. By the time the brown-haired magician stood up and looked behind him, Mizuki was no longer in sight.

Darrian angrily shot down the alleyway and turned down the branching back street Mizuki fled down. With a scowl deep-set in his features, the lanky man looked around to find there was no sign of the green-haired vampire at all.

"Do you think you're clever, vampire!? Do you think you can run and hide from me!? Or are you just buying time until that 'Kenji-san' you were gushing over arrives to save you yet again?"

Darrian rushed down the alley, searching for the path the vampire must've taken. He reached the next branching alley and glanced down to see if the green-haired vampire was fleeing down one of the narrow walkways.

The next thing he saw was the bottom of Mizuki's shoes as she delivered a powerful flying kick to the vampire hunter's face.

Darrian went flying backwards into the nearby wall, coughing as the air was knocked out of his lungs. With unsteady legs, the magician pulled himself to his feet and glared up at the green-haired vampire. By the time he recovered, Mizuki had already closed the distance and was standing before him.

Darrian's eyes widened as Mizuki swung at him and he brought his arms up over his face to shield himself. However, the moment the powerful blow struck the lanky man's arms, he was thrown off-balance by the force and Mizuki delivered a roundhouse kick to his side, sending him tumbling over down the alleyway.

"What the hell!? How did you….!? I'm faster than you… I'm stronger than you!"

The green-haired vampire smirked at the frantic magician, standing calmly over him as she glared down at him.

"So, you haven't even noticed it yet? That spell that made you faster has worn off already."

"W-What!?"

Darrian looked down at his body, and sure enough the blue glow indicative of the speed-increasing enchantment he had used on himself was gone.

"Let me ask you something," Mizuki began, taking a single step forward towards the lanky man, "That spell that you stole from us vampires, the one that enhances your strength… did you also find a way to give yourself the limitless mana a vampire possesses?"

Darrian's eyes widened and he staggered backwards, muttering ineffectually as he tried to distance himself from his green-haired opponent.

"I didn't think so," Mizuki replied, continuing to take slow steps towards the brown-haired magician, "Your use of that spell burns through your magical energy, and on top of that, you cast another body-altering spell. I wasn't running away… I was waiting for you to use up the rest of your mana!"

"I…. I…." Darrian looked around nervously, grasping at the dirt below him as he scrambled for something to say, "D-damn you… vampire…!"

"Mizuki-san!"

At the sound of the vampire's name being called, both Mizuki and Darrian turned their heads to look down the alleyway.

Kenji was standing there, his uniform torn and face and arms covered with dirt and scratches, out of breath from running. The red-haired Esper was resting his hands on his knees for support, and was glancing back and forth at the scene to gather what was going on.

"Mizuki-san!" Kenji yelled out again, "Are you okay? You look pretty banged up."

Mizuki frowned, crossing her arms over her chest in mock offense, "Hmph! I got to your school to meet you after class only to find out you were running around with Greenhart-san, and then the first thing you say to me when you get back is 'you look banged up'!? Besides, you look pretty worse for wear yourself, you know."

"Heh," Kenji laughed nervously, making his way over to where Mizuki was standing, "We ran into a little trouble at the hospital. That's when we found out Kaede was in the coma ward. We rushed here to find you the second we realized why the magician was impersonating one of my classmates. Speaking of which…"

Kenji's grin hardened into a stern frown as he looked past Mizuki. His brow furrowed and his amber eyes flared as he gazed upon the beaten form of Darrian Stormwall.

"Is that the bastard who hurt Kaede-chan just to impersonate her?"

Scrutinized by Kenji's fierce glare, Darrian staggered backwards as his eyes shook with fear.

Mizuki nodded, "Yeah, but he's no longer a threat. He's out of magical energy, so he's basically defenseless."

Mizuki turned around, cracking her knuckles as she glared down at the brown-haired man. Standing next to Kenji, the two closed in on the lanky man as he tried to back up ineffectually.

"W-w-w-wait!" Darrian yelled, "I… I've already released Ikazuchi Kaede from the spell! Plus, I've already lost this fight, right!? So… there's really no point in fighting anymore! I surrender, really!"

"You're going to say that after you mocked me and kicked me while I was down, you sadistic bastard!?" Mizuki asked, indignantly.

"Besides, even if you released Kaede-chan, she was still in a coma because of your spell! Magic is dangerous to an Esper's body, and you knew it too! I won't forgive anyone who would do that to one of my classmates!" Kenji yelled, balling his arm into a fist.

The green-haired vampire looked over at Kenji and smiled, "Let's finish this!"

Both Mizuki and Kenji reeled their arms back, Mizuki's right arm and Kenji's left, and brought them forwards, slamming their fists into Darrian's face at the same time. The lanky man went flying backwards through the air and slamming into the far wall of the alleyway with a loud thud.

"Damn that guy," Mizuki sighed, rubbing her shoulders and cracking her neck slightly as she wound down from the adrenaline of the fight, "I can't believe he impersonated Ikazuchi-san and pretended to befriend me just to get close to me… And I was really thinking I made a new friend, too…"

"Maybe you have."

The sudden voice made the two jump, whirling around to see Greenhart, crossing her arms and frowning at the unconscious man behind them.

"The magic Darrian uses to impersonate others is more than just a disguise. To make sure those who know the person well don't suspect that they've been replaced, Darrian's spell constantly feeds information to and from the target's mind. Most of his responses, and even some of his actions, were likely directly influenced by Ikazuchi-san directly. She might not remember everything, but it's likely she'll know who you are, at least."

Mizuki's downcast expression lightened a little and she nodded, but Kenji still looked apprehensive.

"Still, if this Darrian guy was sent here by the Irish Catholic Church, then why was he going after Mizuki, rather than the vampire in the coffin O'Reilly had?"

Greenhart shook her head, "That's what's bothering me. They wouldn't have sent a man like Darrian Stormwall to capture a powerful vampire. That man is one huge charade. He boasts about his abilities and acts confident in his power, but he burns through his energy so quickly that none of that even matters. He uses sleazy tactics to get close to his enemies, and then brutal fighting to try to take them out as quickly as possible. Even still, that man has never been able to defeat a single vampire."

"But, if they didn't send Darrian, then does that mean there's another vampire hunter running around Academy City?" Kenji asked, frowning.

Greenhart closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh. Darrian was no longer an issue, but they still had no idea where the vampire was, and on top of that, they had to worry about a high level magician from the Irish Catholic Church.

"Yes," the blonde-haired witch finally answered, "and if they manage to hunt down the vampire O'Reilly let loose, they'll undoubtedly hunt down Miyako-san next."

 ** _To Be Continued..._**

* * *

 **AN: A longer chapter this time. Mostly out of necessity. I didn't have enough material to span a full two chapters without ending the fight in the middle, but I also didn't want to rush anything or cut anything out.**

 **Anyway, I noticed that a guest reviewer gave me a suggestion about a meeting with the canon cast, and also a suggestion on how to turn Iwako back into a human using Touma's powers. I want to straighten some things out here about how I write these stories. The reason why it took me so long to start uploading Volume 2 was because I wrote the entirety of the volume before uploading. Now, it's in a "beta" stage, meaning I've written it, but I haven't extensively proof-read anything or refined it to a form I consider presentable. The time between writing a chapter and posting it gives me time to walk away from it and come back without that "I just wrote this, it's perfect" feeling a lot of writers get after just finishing a portion of their work. I view this as crucial, and trying to cram writing a chapter, waiting to get a different perspective, then proofing it all in the course of one week with all the other things I'm responsible for as a college student would be impossible without reducing the quality of the story, which I do not wish to do.**

 **Also, regarding the second point (that is, Iwako), I doubt Touma's Imagine Breaker would be able to turn a vampire back into a human. Vampires and humans are different species, biologically (at least in the context of my story, but the fact that an Esper ability, albeit a Gemstone ability, being able to destroy them would hint that they're not, on a fundamental level, grounded in magic). Even if they were magical beings, I doubt Touma's power would be able to turn them back into a human like that. Ignoring the fact that it would raise the question of what would happen to a vampire who was NEVER human before, there's evidence suggesting that, once a human becomes something, through magic or otherwise, they cannot be reverted with the Imagine Breaker.** **Othinus did not stop being a Magic God from coming into contact with Imagine Breaker, nor did it destroy her outright, and Espers are technically also different from regular humans on some supernatural level, but they don't become Level 0s just by shaking Touma's hand. This is all ignoring the fact that I want Iwako to remain a vampire. If I wanted to change her back into a human, I wouldn't have put the restriction on Greenhart that she couldn't change her back in the first place.**

 **Buuuuut I digress. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Liked it? Hated it? Leave me a review and tell me what you thought, or feel free to ask any questions you might have! New chapters are released each Friday (EST), so I'll be back with another one next week!**


	17. Volume 2 Chapter 5 - Whole Rest

**_VOLUME 2_**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Calm and Silence**

 _ **Whole_REST.**_

 **Part 1**

The red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji stumbled tiredly into Kamishiri's classroom and collapsed once he reached his desk.

"Geez, Mizuki really drank a lot this time," Kenji muttered quietly, rubbing his neck and the two bite marks that sat underneath his collar, "I think I feel a little light-headed."

Kenji rested his head on the desk in front of him, crossing his arms and burying his face to block out the light. He stayed like this for a couple moments before turning his head to the side and peeking up over his arm, glancing around the classroom aimlessly. Disinterested students sat around the room, facing the desk and waiting for Kamishiri to arrive. Kurogori was already asleep behind him, undisturbed by the morning light striking the side of his face from the window.

Kenji's eyes stopped their wandering as the fell upon the empty desk that belonged to Ikazuchi Kaede.

Or at least, he expected it to be empty.

Before they parted ways the day before, Kenji had asked Greenhart whether or not Kaede would wake up now that the spell was no longer affecting her.

" _Ideally, that would be the case, but it's doubtful,"_ the blonde-haired witch had replied, " _There's no telling how much internal damage that spell did to Kaede's body before Darrian released her. As to when she'll wake up, it could be days, or even weeks."_

Hearing this, the red-haired Esper had not anticipated Kaede to be at school, and indeed, there seemed to be no sign of his brown-haired classmate anywhere in Kamishiri's classroom.

But there was indeed someone sitting in the desk next to him.

"Good morning, Arakuyo-san," the voice spoke calmly, "You look rather tired."

"A-ah!" Kenji replied in surprise, bolting upright, "Na-Nakare-sensei!? Are we gonna be doing any experiments today?"

"I was planning on it," Nakare-sensei replied blankly, her voice hinting at no emotion, but her eyes appearing someone disinterested in the idea, "but you've come in all beaten up again."

"No way!" Kenji grinned, "I'm just tired is all, I'm perfectly fi-AAAHHHH!"

Nakare delivered a light jab to the red-haired Esper's side and he cried out in pain, garnering the attention of everyone else in the room.

"You came in walking rather stiffly," Nakare replied, "I had a feeling you were injured. Come with me."

Kenji recovered and gave Nakare a strange look as she stood up and began walking away, "But I thought you said we wouldn't be doing any experiments today?"

"We're not," Nakare replied, "but I still need to talk with you. And I'm not about to leave you in that state."

Kenji nodded and stood up, wincing at the recently agitated bruise cried out in pain. Recovering quickly, the red-haired Esper fell into step behind Nakare and followed the raven-haired scientist out into the hallway.

"We'll be heading to the Power Development Lab," Nakare noted as they made their way down the stairs to the first floor, "But we're not going down to the Limit Field. I'll take you to the infirmary first."

"Sorry about this," Kenji replied, "A lot of things happened yesterday."

"Hmm, is that so?" Nakare asked, sounding disinterested, "Well, I don't intend to pry into your personal life, but I feel the need to remind you that your ability is in a rather volatile state right now. Putting yourself in danger is not what I would consider the wisest course of action."

The red-haired Esper frowned, but said nothing. It wasn't as though he intended to put himself into danger, but there was still a hostile vampire loose in Academy City, and it was likely that there was a vampire hunter from the Irish Catholic Church running around as well.

Kenji felt partly responsible for releasing the vampire out into Academy City. If he hadn't destroyed the parking garage, they would've fought the weakened vampire right then and there with Greenhart on his side. However, in the confusion, the vampire was able to escape and recover, and so in part Kenji felt responsible for the vampire's actions.

In addition, vampires were creatures with strong power that could be harnessed by the Irish Catholic Church. Letting the vampire fall back into the hands of that organization would only mean bad news for him and Mizuki later. After all, in defeating O'Reilly and Darrian Stormwall, Kenji and Mizuki had effectively made the entirety of the Irish Catholic Church their enemy.

No matter how Kenji looked at it, he doubted he would be able to return to the relatively peaceful way of living he had before meeting Mizuki.

The two fell into an uncomfortable silence as they made their way into the Power Development Lab. True to Nakare's word, rather than stepping into the elevator down to the Limit Field, the raven-haired scientist lead Kenji down the first floor hallway to an infirmary set up specifically for Espers.

The room was set up very much like a school's nurses office, with a few beds, a desk, and a plethora of medical charts plastering the walls. However, beside each of the beds were consoles that looked like complex vitals monitors, and in the corner of the room sat a strange cylindrical machine with a touchscreen console.

"Have a seat on that bed," Nakare requested, pointing to the bed closest to the machine.

Kenji nodded and sat down, and Nakare turned towards the strange contraption.

"Give me a few moments."

Nakare typed something into the console and tapped the screen a couple of times. The top of the machine rotated with a loud whir, and a loud hiss sounded as the entire top of the machine lifted up.

Inside the machine were compartments arranged radially, each containing a device with a handle sticking out of the top. Nakare grabbed a hold of one and pulled it out of its compartment, revealing a device not entirely dissimilar to a handheld metal detector one would expect to see at an airport.

Moving over to Kenji, the raven-haired scientist held up the device to him.

"Stand up and hold your arms out for me, please."

Kenji complied, and Nakare passed the device over his torso. After a few passes, the device beeped and Nakare pressed a button on the handle. Moving back over to the machine, Nakare slid the device back into the compartment and the machine closed. After fiddling with the console for a few moments, the Machine printed out an x-ray image.

"Hmm," Nakare replied, studying the image intently, "Nothing is outright broken, but there's a few micro-fractures in the three lowest ribs on your right side, and some more in the bones of your left forearm."

Nakare sighed and put down the image before retrieving something like a first aid kit from a counter next to the desk.

"Arakuyo-san, please take your shirt off, if you don't mind," Nakare requested. "I can't do much about the micro-fractures, but I can dress your other wounds. These bandages are coated with a special ointment that will increase the speed of your recovery… granted you let yourself relax."

Kenji nodded and complied, removing his shirt and revealing all the scrapes and bruises he got yesterday. Mizuki hadn't been able to help him with her blood like last time since she had used a lot of her healing ability recovering from her own fight with Stormwall. A large bruise spread across his right side, and a few smaller marks and scratches littered his upper body.

Nakare placed the bandages and medical tape on the bed next to him and set to work, her face betraying no emotion as she studied his body to determine where she needed to place the gauze wrappings.

"Arakuyo-san," Nakare spoke suddenly, lifting the gauze and beginning to wrap his torso,

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems you're the kind of person who puts the safety of those you care about above your own well-being."

Kenji turned his head to avoid Nakare's scrutinizing gaze, furrowing his brow as he searched for some form of response.

Nakare didn't wait for him to find one.

"That kind of way of living is admirable, but also foolish," the raven-haired scientist noted,

"Those kind of selfless, headstrong people… they tend to lead rather short lives, don't they?"

"That may be true," Kenji agreed, clenching his fists as he continued to look away, "but even still, what kind of person sits by and watches someone suffer when they have the power to stop it? I know that's not the point of the Power Development Program, but if we have these abilities, shouldn't we be using them to help others? I have the power to protect the people close to me. Of course I'm going to use it!"

Nakare leaned in to wrap the gauze around Kenji's torso, obscuring a small smile just out of Kenji's field of vision.

"I'm not telling you to stop, Arakuyo-san," Nakare replied, "but it's important to take care of yourself too. Just look at yourself. You're covered in bruises and I imagine those micro-fractures hurt, but you push yourself to make it look like you're fine. If I hadn't noticed and told you that we would be down in the Limit Field again today, would you have even stopped me and told me what was wrong?"

Kenji didn't answer, but both he and Nakare already knew the true answer.

"It's fine if you want to be selfless, but you can't just run yourself into the ground trying to support everyone else. It's okay to be a little selfish sometimes. Be more cautious. Rely on others more. After all, I'm sure that important person you've been fighting for wouldn't want something bad to happen to you just because you were trying to protect them."

Kenji stiffened up, unable to come up with any sort of retort to Nakare's lecture. At a loss for words, the red-haired Esper merely sighed and smiled lightly.

"Besides," Nakare muttered, barely a whisper, "I think I, too, would feel sad if anything were to happen to you."

"Huh?" Kenji asked, not having heard everything Nakare just said, "Sorry, I don't think I caught all of that."

"It's nothing," Nakare replied, her blank expression returning as she turned to him, "Now then, let's finish patching you up."

* * *

 **Part 2**

High above the streets of District 7, a lone figure stood upon a multi-story complex stretching up to compete with the taller skyscrapers and structures nearby. The clearly female figure balanced precariously on the edge of the roof of the building, blatantly ignoring the strong winds that swept at her long violet hair.

Her outfit would be considered rather unusual for a place like Academy City, but were not necessarily out of place for Japan. The long robes of a shrine maiden draped from her shoulders, giving her a very traditional Japanese look. However, instead of the traditional red and white of a Shinto priest, the woman was clad in white and black instead.

Pressed to her ear was a sky blue flip phone with a light orange strap hung from one corner.

"I still haven't found either of them yet," the figure spoke into the phone.

Initially, one might presume that the figure was using the phone to talk. However, looking closely the phone was off, and instead a strange energy seemed to emanate from the phone strap itself. Rather than using a conventional phone line for her conversation, the woman was communicating through magic.

"I'm well aware how time-critical this mission is, but it seems like there's someone meddling with my affairs."

The phone strap suddenly began to quiver violently as a voice on the other end shouted. The words were garbled and incoherent to any observers, but the woman seemed to understand their meaning.

"Yes, of course," she spoke calmly— a stark contrast to the other person's tone.

Suddenly, the woman's golden eyes widened and darted off to one side, as though she were trying to look behind her. With a frown, the woman hopped backwards down from the edge of the building and sighed.

"My apologies, but I have to go."

In one swift, elegant motion, the violet-haired woman whirled around and flipped her phone closed, slipping it into a pocket in the baggy dress robes of her outfit.

"There's no reason to hide anymore," the woman projected her voice, as though addressing an unseen audience, "I can sense your mana, Tia."

In an instant, a patch of empty space about a meter in front of her began to shimmer, revealing the form of the blonde-haired witch. Greenhart stepped forwards, presenting the woman with a wry smile as she waited for a response.

"Bending the light to create the illusion of empty space," the violet-haired woman observed, "Is that a new spell, or is your time here making you more like an Esper?"

"My, you're still as observant as ever, Roseanne," Greenhart mused, taking a single step closer to

the other magician, "but no, this is a spell I've had for quite a while, it's just been a while since I've used it."

"Hmm, is that right?" Roseanne narrowed her eyes, as though suspicious of the blonde witch's words, "Well, no matter. What brings you here, if I may ask?"

"What? I'm not allowed to talk to an old friend?" Greenhart asked, her voice laced with mock indignance.

"If you're still my ally, why then did you feel the need to spy on me?" Roseanne asked, frowning, "No, more importantly, why didn't you contact the Church the second O'Reilly accidentally released that vampire."

The violet-haired woman brought her hand to her chin in thought.

"Perhaps it's because you've betrayed us… is that it, Tia?"

Roseanne's eyes hardened and she whirled around, a purple energy swirling around her as she spun. Greenhart's eyes widened and she jumped back, barely dodging the black spikes that shot forth from the violet-haired mage's robes.

"What are you doing!?" Greenhart asked as she raised her arms defensively.

"There's no point in keeping up your act. Darrian's not good for much, but he's excellent at gathering intelligence. I already know that you've teamed up with the Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji, and are working to protect that vampire girl."

"Wait," Greenhart asked, a look of confusion plastered across her face, "So he _was_ sent here by the Church, he was just acting as your lackey."

"What, did you think he was acting alone?" Roseanne laughed, "Darrian puts up a bold façade, but he's as pathetic as they come. He allies himself with anyone he can and lets them do all the heavy lifting. That's why I sent him after that girl, but it seems even I overestimated his strength."

The violet-haired woman took a step towards Greenhart, her hand still coated in the swirling purple magic.

"But he's the least of my worries," she replied calmly, although anger burned fiercely in her golden eyes, "I'll ask you again, why are you here?"

"It's nothing personal, Roseanne," Greenhart replied, "but I can't allow you to recapture the vampire O'Reilly released, and I absolutely can't allow you to capture Miyako Mizuki."

Roseanne closed her eyes, sighing in resignation, "Fine then… if you intend to stand in my way, I will not hesitate to strike you down."

The violet-haired witch raised her arm and the dark energy around her condensed and grew into a shadowy blade. In an instant, she lunged at Greenhart, slashing at the blonde-haired magician with a forceful strike.

Instead of meeting flesh, however, Roseanne's blade was met with Greenhart's own— a light sword like the one made from the three orbs she had used to fight Iwako. The two blades clashed and sent cascades of light and dark energy swirling around the two mages.

"Give it up, Tia," Roseanne replied, struggling against Greenhart's blade, "The last time we fought, I was stronger than you, and I have only increased in strength since then."

Greenhart didn't reply, merely smirking and hardening her gaze as she clutched her blade tighter. The yellow-white sword surged with energy and sank into Roseanne's dark blade, and in one swift motion Greenhart lobbed off the end of her sword.

The piece separated cleanly from the rest of the blade in Roseanne's hand and dispersed into the same swirling energy that had comprised it. The violet-haired magician's eyes widened as Greenhart whirled back around and slammed the hilt of the light blade into Roseanne's torso.

Roseanne coughed and staggered backwards, casting a fierce glare towards Greenhart. However, in an instant the angry gaze subsided as the violet-haired woman straightened herself, regaining some semblance of composure.

"I see," Roseanne spoke, her tone still calm and refined, "I underestimated just how much you've improved since we last fought. I doubt I'd be able to finish you as quickly as I intended. A fight with you now would run counter to my goals."

The violet-haired magician turned her back on Greenhart and stepped onto the ledge of the roof, poised as though she were ready to jump. She paused, turning back to look at the blonde-haired witch.

"I assume we'll meet again soon. At that point, I will punish you for your betrayal. Prepare yourself, Tia."

Greenhart grinned, "Don't make it sound like you're going anywhere!"

The blonde magician extended her arm and an array of yellow runes appeared below Roseanne's feet. Looking down, the violet-haired magician flashed Greenhart a small smirk and jumped just before ribbons of light shot forth to grasp at her ankles. As she began to fall, Roseanne's form dissolved into dark shadows and vanished completely.

"Tch…" Greenhart frowned, letting her array fade away uselessly. She crossed her arms and turned away from where Roseanne had just disappeared. Slowly, her face contorted into one of extreme annoyance, and she stomped the ground with her foot.

Rather abruptly, the blonde-haired witch sauntered over to a seemingly arbitrary spot on the roof and grasped at the air in front of her. Just as she appeared, the lanky figure of Darrian Stormwall became visible in a shimmer of light as Greenhart tugged at his collar.

Darrian— with his arms tied behind his back and his legs bound by ribbons to the ground where he was standing— looked nervously at the witch glaring at him angrily.

"Why didn't you tell me you were working with Roseanne!?" Greenhart asked angrily, barring her teeth at the brown-haired man.

"Just because that vampire was able to beat me doesn't mean my allegiances have changed! I'm still loyal to the Irish Catholic Church!" Darrian replied defiantly.

"Hmm… is that so? Well then…"

Greenhart dropped the lanky magician and in the next moment the light sword she had used against Roseanne appeared in her hand, and she aimed it at Darrian's neck.

"If you truly don't intend to tell me anything, I have no more need for you. Letting an enemy go would also be unwise. I spared your life because Arakuyo-san requested it, but I am not as pure-hearted as he is. I could kill you know, and dispose of your body before he realized you were dead."

Darrian's face paled and his eyes went wide with fear.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was working with Roseanne! I'll tell you whatever else you want! Just don't kill meeee!"

"Tch," Greenhart sighed, dispelling her light sword, "You truly are as pathetic as Roseanne mentioned."

Darrian let out a weak gulp, but Greenhart was no longer paying attention to him. Instead, she had turned off to face where Roseanne had disappeared, a complicated expression plastered across her face.

"Out of all the vampire hunters allied with the Irish Catholic Church… why did it have to be you, Rose?"

* * *

 **Part 3**

Kenji opened the sliding doors to a certain hospital room and squinted his eyes when he found the room inside to be brightly lit, rather than the darkness of yesterday's visit. Stepping into the room, a familiar green-haired vampire came into view.

Mizuki was seated next to the still-unconscious form of Ikazuchi Kaede, a frown deep-set upon her face. Her face lightened considerably upon seeing Kenji, but there was still an underlying sadness glistening in her eyes.

"I was hoping I'd find you here," Kenji grinned after letting out a sigh of relief, "I didn't think you'd get targeted so soon again, but I still wasn't sure."

"Sorry," Mizuki replied, "I just kind of wanted to see Ikazuchi-san— the real Ikazuchi-san. Greenhart told me she was still in the hospital, so I came straight here instead of waiting for you after class."

Kenji shook his head, "No, it's fine. I understand how you feel. Kaede-chan is a kind and likable person. If even half of her personality slipped through when Darrian was impersonating her, I could understand why you became friends with her so quickly."

Mizuki nodded silently, looking down at the brown-haired girl. One could very easily mistake her closed eyes and gentle breathing as a peaceful rest.

Yet the fact that she was here, in the coma ward, was proof enough that it wasn't.

A long silence fell between the two, as uncomfortable as it was heavy. The slightest ruffling of clothing, the monotonous hum of the monitor displaying Kaede's vitals, and the intermittent drip of her IV became amplified to almost to the point of loudness. Yet the feeling of silence remained.

"I'm sorry."

Kenji's head shot upright as he looked at Mizuki, confused as to why she had once again apologized.

"I'm sorry," the vampire spoke again, "I must be causing you a lot of problems. You keep putting yourself in harm's way for my sake, and now even your friends are getting hurt because of me. I can fight a little bit, because I'm stronger than a normal human, but I feel like such a burden."

"Don't blame yourself over this," Kenji shot back instantly, "It's that scumbag, Darrian Stormwall's fault that Kaede-chan's here right now! You're not a burden to me, you know. Sure, I've put myself in a lot of danger since I've met you, but-"

Very abruptly, Kenji froze.

It was clear that he wasn't finished talking, but something behind Mizuki had caught his eye and forced him to pause mid-sentence.

When he did speak again, it was not to pick up where he had left off.

"That date… there's something wrong with that date…"

Mizuki whirled around, following Kenji's gaze to a whiteboard set up in the wall of the room, across from the bed.

On the whiteboard was written a variety of things— the name Ikazuchi Kaede, a bunch of contact information, the name of the doctor who admitted her— but the thing that had truly caught Kenji's attention was at the top of the whiteboard.

Written there, in blue marker, was the phrase "Date of Admission: July 24th".

"The 24th… but that was…" Mizuki trailed off, her brow furrowed in thought.

Before either of them could reach a conclusion, the hospital doors were thrown open with urgency. The two whirled around to spot Greenhart, standing in the doorway with an intense expression on her face.

"Arakuyo Kenji. Miyako Mizuki," Greenhart spoke, her voice as stern as her expression, "I have news."

"What is it?" Kenji asked, hopping to his feet.

"I have discovered the whereabouts of the vampire that escaped from O'Reilly's Stoker's Coffin," Greenhart began, "they've picked an abandoned underground shopping mall in District 15, just outside of this district."

"Why would they go there?" Kenji pondered, scratching his head at the thought. Suddenly, his eyes widened and his face paled over, "Wait… that's the largest shopping district in Academy City. People from lots of different Districts go there every day, and it would be really difficult to notice if someone went missing all of a sudden. And if they went out after curfew, it would be even harder to realize they were missing!"

Greenhart nodded, "That's likely his objective. Here in District 7, a murder would be rather obvious, and point us directly to them. But if he's hiding out in an abandoned shopping mall, it would be rather easy to hide a few bodies."

"Then what are we waiting for!" Kenji asked, clenching his fists impatiently, "Let's go and-"

"Wait," Greenhart interrupted, "I wasn't finished. There's something else I wanted to tell you. I also discovered the identity of the magician from the Irish Catholic Church that was sent to capture the vampire we let loose."

Greenhart paused for a moment and let out a heavy sigh. An odd expression crossed over her face for a brief moment, but she shook her head and continued.

"Her name is Roseanne Iris. She's an incredibly powerful magician who specializes in dark magic. Honestly, I fear her more than I fear the vampire we are about to fight. On top of that, she was working with Darrian, so she already knows about Miyako-san. I doubt she'll consider her job over until she's captured both you and the other vampire."

"Don't worry, Mizuki-san!" Kenji replied, clenching his fists, "I promised you, I'll beat any magician that comes for you into the ground!"

"No!" Greenhart yelled, her violet eyes burning holes into Kenji's head as she glared at him, "Roseanne and I have some history together. Back when I was working for the Irish Catholic Church, we often found ourselves working together because our magics complimented one another. As such, I know her strength. I am probably strong enough to face her with the full power of my grimoire, but you do not stand a chance against her. Moreover, I do not think she will miss what kind of threat you are. She will not hesitate to kill you in an instant."

Kenji gulped audibly, moreso at the anger portrayed by Greenhart than the threat of Roseanne.

"This is my warning to you, Arakuyo Kenji. If we run into Roseanne any time tonight, I will fight her alone. The vampire is in a weakened state, so you should pursue them while I take care of Roseanne. Do you understand?"

Kenji nodded briefly, but then glanced over at the green-haired vampire and furrowed his brow.

"Wait, what about Mizuki-san. She can fight, right? We could use her help then!"

Greenhart placed a hand on her chin and frowned, "That's a gamble… I mean, if Mizuki-san and the other vampire are both in the same place, then Roseanne will-"

"I'll do it!" Mizuki declared, clenching her fists at her sides.

"Miyako-san," Greenhart began, "I don't-"

"I'm tired of sitting back and watching as Kenji-san puts himself in danger because of me," the green-haired vampire stated, resolve burning in her eyes, "I don't want to be a burden anymore."

"Mizuki-san, you're not-" Kenji started uselessly.

Greenhart sighed, but nodded, "Very well. You can fight alongside Arakuyo-san. The vampire we're hunting is still relatively weak, but they could still be quite strong. Now come on. If we don't go tonight, there's a chance Roseanne will find out the vampire's location first. We don't want a vampire falling back into the hands of the Irish Catholic Church, no matter the circumstances."

"Right!" Kenji and Mizuki replied simultaneously.

Greenhart nodded silently and turned towards the door, beckoning both the red-haired high school student and the green-haired vampire to follow her. As they left Kaede's hospital room, the sound of thunder roared from outside and rattled the building with the threat of an impending storm.

* * *

 **AN: Here you guys go, Chapter 5! There's a lot of talking in this one, but it's all setting up the stage for an encounter with the vampire running rampant in Academy City.**

 **No long rambles today. I was asked a pretty straightforward question this time, (By Kinigget), so a pretty straightforward answer is in order. The question was "How many arcs am I planning on?".**

 **The short answer is, well I don't really know. The slightly longer answer is I don't really know, but including the ones I've already written and the ones I plan to write in the future, at least 10 (which would imply, assuming the 1 Volume = 1 Story Arc, 10 volumes). This is by no means a final answer, but I do have a lot planned for this story, so we're in this for the long hall.**

Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to leave a review to tell me what you thought! New chapters are out on Fridays (EST), so I'll be back with another one next week.


	18. Volume 2 Chapter 6 - Moonlight Sonata

**VOLUME 2**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Stormfront**

 _ **Moonlight_SONATA.**_

 **Part 1**

The green-haired vampire known as Miyako Mizuki pulled her fangs from Arakuyo Kenji's neck, stepping back and wiping the blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

She hadn't been drinking his blood this time.

"There. How are you feeling?" Mizuki asked.

Kenji stood up from the white sofa they had been seated on and stretched, letting the familiar tingling sensation of Mizuki's healing blood flow through his body. After it subsided, he tried a range of movements before grinning.

"Much better," Kenji replied, clenching his fist, "My side still hurts a little, but I'll be able to fight just fine like this."

"Good to hear," Greenhart spoke, stepping forwards. Previously, she had been leaning against the wall of Kenji's dorm, looking out the small window with crossed arms as she waited for Kenji and Mizuki to finish up.

"Now, let's go."

The three made their way out of Kenji's dorm and down the stairway, stopping just far enough away from the base of the stairs so any stragglers could move past them. Not that it was likely anyone would. Not only was it well past curfew, but dark clouds hung in the sky, and the rumbling of thunder had only grown more frequent since the afternoon.

Greenhart, who held her grimoire in her hand, flipped open to a page and extended her hand into the air. For a few moments, the world around them shimmered, as though they were sitting beneath a dome of crystal clear water, and then returned to normal.

"We're invisible now," Greenhart said, "but the spell only affects what people see. We can still be heard if we don't keep quiet. Moreover, since I couldn't cast the spell directly on Arakuyo-san, we all have to stay within close proximity, or you'll leave the effective area of the spell."

"Got it," Kenji replied, and Mizuki nodded in suit.

Satisfied that they knew the parameters of their concealment, the group set off. All three of them had almost exclusively taken the same route from Kenji's dorms to various other places in School District 7, but now they turned the other way, making their way down an entirely separate road.

Looking down, Kenji's watched his shadow slowly shift and rotate as they passed underneath a nearby street light. Since they were walking to District 15, it would be quite a long walk.

"Kenji-san," Mizuki spoke up after a few minutes, keeping her voice down, "You mentioned that School District 15 is basically one large shopping district… in that case, what's with the shopping district here in District 7?"

"Convenience, mostly," Kenji replied, "You might think of it as pointless to build a shopping district for students in a district neighboring the largest shopping district in Academy City, but think about it. This whole time you've been staying with me, I haven't had to go there once, and most of the time when I want to pick something up, I can just pick it up on my way back from school."

"Hmm," Mizuki frowned, "but if that's the case, then why have an entire district designated for shopping in the first place? I mean, no one lives there, and if you have shopping districts set up for convenience in every district, what's the point?"

"Well, not every district has its own, at least not one as prominent as School District 7," Kenji noted, "That's because School District 7 is comprised of middle and high schools, so in general the students here are bigger spenders than, say, School District 13, which has mostly kindergarten and grade schools. Also, there are certain goods that you can only nab in District 15, like imports and hard-to-get otaku merchandise."

"Ah," Mizuki nodded, satisfied with Kenji's answer. As the green-haired vampire turned to look straight ahead, Kenji's attention wandered elsewhere.

Namely, Kenji turned his attentions to Greenhart, who had been silent for most of their walk thus far. Actually, now that the red-haired Esper was looking at her, Greenhart's movements seemed rather stiff, and she had a strangely troubled expression over her face.

"Greenhart," Kenji asked, "are you alright?"

The blonde-haired witch turned her head rather abruptly to face Kenji, eyes wide in surprise. It was as though she had completely forgotten the red-haired Esper was behind him at all.

"O-of course I'm all right! Why do you ask?"

Kenji sighed, pointing down at her hands, "You're trembling."

Greenhart looked down at the hand clutching her grimoire, and just as Kenji had pointed out, it was shaking slightly. Realizing this, Greenhart took a deep breath and stifled the involuntary movements before turning her attention back to the road.

"Don't worry about me," Greenhart replied, trying in vain to quell Kenji's concerns, "I just… I'd rather not run into Roseanne tonight, if at all possible."

"Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask," Mizuki spoke from behind the blonde-haired witch, "You mentioned Roseanne was an old colleague of yours, and you worked together a lot, but I don't remember ever seeing you come after me with anyone but O'Reilly. Why didn't you ever come after me with Roseanne, especially if you worked well together?"

"The same reason I was with the Irish Catholic Church in the first place. My grimoire," Greenhart motioned to the aforementioned book by holding it up for Mizuki to see, "Roseanne was my equal in the ranks, and had no idea that my grimoire was under the possession of the church. O'Reilly was my superior, and was directly responsible for keeping my grimoire from me unless my full power was needed. I am not a vampire hunter, despite having some of the relevant spells archived in my grimoire. In order to get me to hunt vampires at all, the Irish Catholic Church needed O'Reilly and the threat of my grimoire's destruction to force me into cooperation."

Greenhart stopped in place, turning around and looking at the shadows beneath them.

"Do you understand now, Roseanne?"

Kenji and Mizuki looked down at the ground in confusion before the shadows below them began to move and shift beneath their feet. A mass of darkness rose from the ground, drawing up the shadows on the ground and shaping itself into the silhouette of a woman. Once formed, the shadows began to recede, revealing the face of Roseanne Iris.

Greenhart, Kenji, and Mizuki all stepped back, surrounding the robe-clad woman. Kenji and Mizuki seemed confused, but Greenhart remained stoic in the face of Roseanne's appearance.

"My my," Roseanne rose a hand to her chin as she gazed at Greenhart intently, "When did you realize I was hiding, I wonder?"

"I realized it from the very beginning," Greenhart noted, "My invisibility spell bends the light around it. No light should mean no shadows, either, so the fact that our shadows didn't disappear gave you away."

"Well, my mistake," Roseanne noted off-handedly, as though it didn't really bother her,

"Though, since you knew I was here, that story you told to your two friends was also intended for me to hear, am I right?"

Greenhart didn't answer, instead letting the distant rumbling of thunder fill the silence and turning to avoid Roseanne's piercing gaze. It was all the response the violet-haired magician needed.

"So, that was it, then? A sob story to make me change my mind about you? Oh, the poor Tia Greenhart, forced to work for the Irish Catholic Church or her precious grimoire would be destroyed." Roseanne mocked before brandishing a blade made of shadows and pointing it at Greenhart, "Well, unlike your ignorant friends here, I don't buy it."

Greenhart frowned, summoning her familiar triangle of light orbs, "I wasn't expecting to settle this peacefully… but I hoped you would at least hear me out!"

Without responding, Roseanne charged forwards, swinging her shadow blade at Greenhart. The blonde haired witch stepped backwards, burying her hand into one of her orbs of light and transforming it into a staff rather reminiscent to the one she had fought Kenji with, with a larger half and an organic shape to it. Greenhart grabbed the staff with both hands and thrust it forwards like a spear.

Greenhart struck Roseanne's blade as the violet-haired magician met her blow, and a bright flash of light burst forth, illuminating the whole street momentarily. In that moment, a brillant flash of lightning struck the ground off in the distance, crackling violently and punctuating the clash as though one of the magicians had directly summoned it. Kenji and Mizuki braced themselves as they shielded their eyes, opening them only after the majority of the flash had subsided.

"You two!" Greenhart yelled, not taking her eyes off of Roseanne for a second, "Get out of here! The vampire we're looking for should be weak. If you two fight together, I'm sure you'll be able to beat them!"

"Right!" the two nodded simultaneously, turning off to rush down the street.

Roseanne's eyes darted towards the retreating pair and narrowed. The violet-haired magician jumped backwards, pulling away from Greenhart, and extended her arms out towards Kenji and Mizuki as they ran.

"And just where do you think you two are going?"

A purple array erupted from her hand and dark tendrils shot forth from it, twisting and weaving through the air as they made their way towards Greenhart's allies.

Greenhart kicked off the ground with a flash of light and moved to intercept them, her triangular array shifting in the air as she ran. Positioning herself between the tendrils and her friends, the blonde-haired witch fired a volley of light needles that pierced through the shadowy arms.

The needles continued on through Roseanne's attack, shooting out towards the violet-haired magician with alarming speed. Roseanne's eyes widened and she tried to dodge to the right, but a few of the needles struck her left arm, tearing through her sleeve and drawing blood.

"Tch," Roseanne scoffed, looking down to inspect her injuries, "You're stronger than I remember."

Kenji and Mizuki looked on at Greenhart's back, having stopped to defend themselves from Roseanne's tendrils.

"Thanks," Mizuki grinned, letting out a sigh of relief.

"What are you two waiting for!?" Greenhart yelled, once again not turning around to look at them, "Get going!"

"R-right!" the two said in unison, turning around once again to set off. As they did so, Kenji turned his head back to Greenhart, a serious expression on his face.

"Greenhart-san… no… Tia-san," Kenji spoke, "Be careful."

At that, Kenji turned his head back around and rushed off to join Mizuki. The two then turned down one of the other streets, leaving Greenhart alone to fend against Roseanne.

"How foolish of you," Roseanne frowned, ripping the loose sleeve off of her outfit. "Sending your friends off to fight me alone… that kind of overconfidence is unbecoming."

Without waiting for a response, Roseanne launched forwards, outstretching her injured arm as jagged, dark spikes materialized around it. The projectiles shot out at an alarming speed towards Greenhart, and the blonde witch barely had time to sidestep before they pierced the air beside her. One came too close for comfort, grazing her cheek and drawing a line of blood across her face.

"Tch…" Greenhart scoffed.

Before Greenhart had the chance to retaliate, Roseanne quickly whipped around and fired yet another volley of shadowy spikes towards her. The witch was forced to jump to the side again, this time with a flash of light as she pushed off the ground.

Once she was out of the way of the spikes, Greenhart coiled her legs and kicked off the ground with both feet. Another flash of light sent her flying towards Roseanne at an alarming speed. The violet-haired magician brought her arms up in front of her defensively. Greenhart's array shifted in the air again, and the witch plunged her hands into one of the orbs and swung. The orb transformed into Greenhart's staff as she took a swipe at Roseanne, hitting both of her arms and sending her flying back with a burst of bright light.

Roseanne frowned, flipping around in midair and driving her hand into the asphalt below her. Her hand scraped against the rough pavement for a meter before she stopped her momentum. One would expect their fingertips to be shredded and bloody after something like that, but Roseanne's hand was coated with swirling dark energy.

Actually, both of her arms were.

"That was a close one," Roseanne grinned, looking at her forearm where Greenhart's staff had struck, "Had I not summoned Myrddin's Curse, my arms would've surely been broken."

Myrddin's Curse. It was an old Celtic spell that derived its name from the bard Myrddin Wylit, from whom Merlin from Arthurian legend got his name. The spell was a defensive spell that shrouded its caster in shadows, the strength and protection of which depended on the time of day. At night like this, the spell was at its strongest.

The spell's defensive strength came from the fact that the armor was not conjured plates or chainmail, but rather a coating of fluid energy that could condense in areas that were being attacked to maximize the protectiveness of the armor in that area, and rejuvenate itself after an attack let up. Repeated strikes to the armor in the same place would not break it, and to overpower the armor, you'd have to overpower the spell itself.

Of course, this made the spell incredibly difficult to maintain. Only a magician of the highest caliber could summon the whole thing and maintain it for more than a few minutes at a time.

Roseanne was able to work around this limitation by devising a compromise. Roseanne's Myrddin's Curse consisted of a very thin mist of dark magic that swirled around her, almost invisible in the already dim light. When she was stuck by Greenhart's staff, the mist condensed around Roseanne's forearms and hardened into the armor iconic of the spell proper.

Greenhart clutched her weapon tightly, gritting her teeth as Roseanne smiled at her mockingly.

"It'll take more than that to defeat me, my old friend."

Without replying, the blonde-haired witch waved her hand in the air and her magic array shifted once more, her staff disappearing in the process. Glaring at Roseanne, she kicked off the ground and charged forwards, bringing one of her orbs around and firing an array of light needles at the violet-haired mage. Rather than a condensed stream of needles, this time Greenhart's attack was spread out to target as much of Roseanne as they could.

"Trying to overwhelm me with a widespread attack?" Roseanne asked, noticing Greenhart's strategy, "That won't work!"

Roseanne brought her arms in front of her, crossing them defensively as the dark mist of Myrddin's Curse swirled around her. The instant before the needles struck, the mist spread out and blocked all of them in their tracks. Roseanne grinned, looking down at the lingering attack as it stuck to her armor.

However, her celebration was premature, as each needle began to glow brightly. The mage's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen, powerless to stop the attack. Each of the light needles exploded simultaneously, blasting Roseanne back as Myrddin's Curse struggled to dampen the blast.

As the violet-haired magician struggled to regain her footing, a streak of light made its way around her and she looked back. Greenhart appeared, her staff ready, and struck Roseanne's unprotected back as the violet-haired woman was forced towards her.

Roseanne coughed as the staff knocked the wind out of her and snarled. She recovered quickly and conjured a shadowy blade, swinging it around at Greenhart with an angry cry. Greenhart moved her staff to block the attack, but the dark blade cleaved straight through the light and the staff dissolved. The blade kept going, cutting Greenhart in the arm as the witch was forced to jump back. The blonde-haired magician glared up at Roseanne, clutching her arm as fresh blood dripped down her torn sleeve.

"Did you think I had forgotten about your staff's weakness?" Roseanne asked, a twisted grin tugging at her lips, "Your conjured weapons store energy in them, and release that energy when they make contact with your enemies. However, in the instant after you attack, your weapons are at their weakest. If I wait until after you strike, I can cleave through your staff like it's paper."

Before waiting for Greenhart to offer a response, Roseanne launched herself forwards, grabbing her shadow sword with both hands and slashing forcefully at the blonde-haired witch.

Greenhart jumped back, reaching up and plunging her hand into one of the orbs around her. Once again, the orb of light shifted around her hand and formed into a sword of her own.

Roseanne swung again, and Greenhart met the dark blade with her own. As the weapons clashed, sparks of light and wisps of darkness poured off the weapons, swirling around the two combatants and dissipating into the night air. Roseanne was the first to break, stepping back and slashing down at Greenhart's legs. The blonde-haired witch barely had time to dodge, but backstepping though her off balance. Roseanne seized the opportunity and quickly dove in, driving the end of her blade's hilt into Greenhart's stomach before whirling around and slashing at the witch with a blow aimed for her chest. Greenhart tried to reel back, but the blade tore into her shoulder and she cried out in pain.

Roseanne then extended her palm and dark tendrils with sharpened points shot out from a magic array behind her. Greenhart stepped back, ripping the blade from her shoulder in the process, and tried to dodge the attack. She avoided most of the direct hits, but multiple tendrils grazed her, tearing her clothes and slicing at her flesh.

Now that Roseanne was on the offensive, she wasn't about to let up on the blonde-haired witch. She crushed her outstretched palm, and the tendrils surrounding Greenhart wrapped around her and promptly exploded. The blonde witch was blasted through the window of a nearby storefront, landing in the display cabinet roughly.

Greenhart rose to her feet, coming face to face with the violet-haired mage as she swung her blade again. Roseanne slashed across the blonde witch's chest and outstretched her palm once more. This time, a dark pulse of magic energy shot forth from her hand and blasted Greenhart deeper into the store.

Greenhart dug her blade into the tiled floor, stopping herself from moving back any further. She raised her hand and an orb appeared in front of her, launching spears of light towards the violet-haired mage. Roseanne merely waved her hands, and dark tendrils came to intercept them, swatting them out of the way before launching themselves at Greenhart once more.

Greenhart lithely weaved between them all, closing the distance between her and Roseanne. Once she had reached her opponent, she brought her blade down in a heavy cleave. The violet-haired mage let the blade dig into the armor Myrddin's Curse summoned for her, releasing its energy as a flash of light as it struck her shoulder. Roseanne brought up her own blade and swung hard at Greenhart's own shoulder. Greenhart moved her blade to block, but Roseanne's shadowy sword cleaved through hers and it dissipated into the light that formed it before continuing. Greenhart quickly sidestepped left, but Roseanne had been prepared. In the same motion, she whirled around and kicked Greenhart in the stomach.

The blonde-haired witch let out a wheeze as the air was forced out of her, and she staggered backwards from the impact. Seeing her opportunity, Roseanne launched her dark tendrils at Greenhart once more. The sharp, shadowy wisps pierced Greenhart's body, and the blonde-haired witch cried out in pain.

"What foolishness is this? That tome you possess, a grimoire? Nonsense! You are only slightly stronger than you were when we last battled, Tia," Roseanne observed, "You told me not to call you a liar, but your story doesn't hold up. You lack the strength expected of a mage wielding a grimoire, and the Irish Catholic Church extorted you by threatening the destruction of your precious spell book. The 103,000 grimoires that exist in this world cannot be destroyed by any means, magical or mundane. Either you are a fool or that book is no grimoire."

"Heh…" Greenhart chuckled, despite her situation, her chest heaving as she stood, impaled by Roseanne's darkness.

"You're right about one thing."

Roseanne's eyes widened, and a single drop of rain fell from the sky above, falling down and hitting her head.

The voice had just spoken was Greenhart's, but it hadn't come from right in front of her. Suddenly, the form of Greenhart that was impaled on Roseanne's spikes shattered like glass and disappeared. The violet-haired mage whirled around to find Greenhart immediately behind her.

Slowly, more and more drops of rain began to fall, pattering on the sidewalk around them.

The blonde-haired witch was bleeding heavily from the slashes she had sustained from Roseanne, yet somehow she radiated with an incredible energy. Confidence burned like fire in her eyes as she sat, holding her grimoire open with the array of three orbs hovering behind her. The rain began to fall faster, soaking into Roseanne's violet hair and running off the brim of Greenhart's witch hat.

"This is not truly one of the 103,000 original grimoires," Greenhart conceded.

"Then why?" Roseanne spat, "Why work for years with the Church to protect nothing more than a common spellbook?"

"I didn't say it was common," Greenhart pointed out, grinning as she held her hand out. Almost instantly, a giant blast of blinding bright light shot forth like a beam, narrowly missing Roseanne and slamming into what was left of the storefront behind her. The heat from the beam caused the rain to sizzle off of it as it fell, and when the attack subsided, the storefront was obliterated.

"That power… that… that's…" Roseanne sputtered, looking behind her at the destruction to the store behind her. The already-broken window, the door, and much of the brick wall were completely gone, and wisps of smoke and steam rose from the dull glowing rubble as water struck the hot surface. "but, how? If that's not a grimoire, then…?

"Plaintext Copy," Greenhart replied, holding up the book in her hands in spite of the rain. In fact, the book looked completely untouched by the rain even as it was touched, the drops merely vanishing before they could soak into the paper. Waving it around slightly, Greenhart grinned, "This is a Plaintext Copy of the Lux Ars, the grimoire of light."

"It's… a copy?"

Greenhart nodded, "The original 103,000 grimoires contain immense power, that much is true, but they're immensely flawed. After all, what good is an archive of spells if an ordinary magician can't even use it without destroying themselves? That's the kind of mentality my grandmother held. She was dissatisfied with the idea that a book could contain so much power that not even humans could wield it. That's when she came up with a theory."

Roseanne's eyes widened, and she finished Greenhart's thought, "That it was possible to create a copy that could be used by ordinary humans."

"Yes," Greenhart replied, "My grandmother devised a method to work around the limitations of a magician's body. A copy of a grimoire that used activation spells to activate the original grimoire's spells without the magician needing to read the original text. All but the most powerful spells put a minimal strain on the magician's body."

"But," Roseanne frowned, "In order to create a Plaintext Copy, someone would need to read the original, correct?"

Greenhart closed her eyes, nodding, "That's right. My grandmother… sacrificed herself to give my mother this power, and now I've inherited it. Do you understand now, Roseanne? This copy of Lux Ars, which can be destroyed like any other tome, is the legacy of my grandmother! It's irreplaceable!"

"So, all for that, you worked with the Irish Catholic Church… you befriended me… you worked with O'Reilly… all to protect that book? Bu-but… how do I know you're not lying to me? Just because your grimoire can be destroyed, that doesn't mean it was actually in any danger!"

Greenhart sighed, "Roseanne, let me ask you something. Why do you think they never sent us out on missions alone together?"

Roseanne froze, looking up at the blonde-haired witch in stunned silence.

Without waiting for a response, Greenhart continued, "Think about it. You and I have complimentary magic, and we're both plenty strong enough to be left on our own. Yet every single mission we went on, O'Reilly or one of the other higher-ranking members of the Church supervised is."

"Wait, then…?" Roseanne asked, trailing off.

"They were supervising _me_ , not us. You and I were close friends. If they told you that I was working with them simply because they were holding my Grimoire ransom, and gave you the activation crystal for the destruction spell bound to it, there was a chance you would betray them for my sake. They couldn't risk that, so they never sent us out together. It's not hard proof by any means, but you have to admit it makes sense, Rose."

Roseanne stood in silence, taking in all the information meant. Trickles of water ran down her face as she stood in the rain, staring at Greenhart with an unreadable expression. Suddenly, her golden eyes widened, and her usually calm disposition gave way to a more emotional one, "But… you were taken into the Chruch when you were 10 years old! Do you mean to tell me the Church stole from a 10-year old girl to force her to work for them?"

Greenhart turned away, her eyes shutting at the painful memory. Her silence and reaction was all Roseanne needed.

"No… that's… but the Irish Catholic Church… they…"

Roseanne's eyes shook in place, her pupils dilating into mere pinpricks as she confronted what her friend was telling her.

"You're… that's… The Church is..."

Greenhart's eyes widened as Roseanne clutched her head, "That's impossible… the Irish Catholic Church took me in as a child… they sheltered me, and taught me magic when they realized I had a gift for it. They gave me so much… there's no way they'd be that cruel! And yet…"

Greenhart took a step back, and Roseanne screamed, collapsing to her knees in a puddle that had formed on the road beneath her. Roseanne clutched herself, grasping at her shoulders as the rain soaked her through to the bone. Water streamed down her face and ran off her chin as she shouted.

Roseanne's body exploded in swirls of dark energy, forming and morphing around them into dark armor. As the armor formed, Roseanne stretched out her arms, and two swords appeared in each hand, their dark forms wispy and ephemeral as energy swirled within them. Once all was said and done, Roseanne's entire body, including her face, was covered with an approximation of full knight's armor made from a shifting shadowy mass. The full Myrddin's Curse.

Greenhart frowned, dispelling the array behind her and flipping her grimoire to a different page. The array on the cover of the old tome began to glow, and another array appeared in the air in front of Greenhart. A metal staff with a golden crystal embedded in the end emerged, and the blonde-haired witch plucked it from the air. She swirled it around a few times before holding it out, holding it underhanded like a spear.

Roseanne launched forwards in a fury, slashing wildly at Greenhart with both blades. Her body moved in tandem, each blow flowing into another in a fluid motion. Rain trailed off the ends of the blades like ribbons of water as they cut through the rain. The blonde-haired witch was forced to grab her staff with both hands, twisting the steel shaft to meet each blow while stepping back to keep distance.

Trying to stave off the pressure Roseanne was putting on her, Greenhart thrust her hand forward, her grimoire floating in the air next to her. An intricate array appeared in the air in front of her hand, and tiny, serpentine dragons shot forth, fangs bared as they flew through the air towards Roseanne.

The violet-haired mage sliced at the attack as they came, cleaving the heads off some of the dragons before they reached her, but through sheer magnitude some got through. Their teeth dug into the armor of Myrddin's Curse and the armor began to dissolve away. Noticing this, Roseanne quickly stepped back and slice off the heads of the remaining dragons, dispelling them and jumping backwards with a splash.

Roseanne looked down at her armor. It was taking longer than usual, in no doubt to some disruptive power the dragon heads had, but the holes in her armor were being filled back in.

Unfortunately for her, Greenhart was not ready to wait for her spell to repair its defenses. With the gaps in the violet-haired mage's defenses, the blonde witch darted forwards, thrusting forwards with her staff. As she did, the crystal on the tip began to glow, and a golden light burst forth from it, forming into a short blade worthy of a polearm.

Roseanne's eyes narrowed, and she readied her blades. She parried Greenhart's first thrust and slashed at the witch, but Greenhart had expected the counter and dodged sideways, quickly shifting the angle of attack and trusting at Roseanne again, aiming for the weak point in her armor. Roseanne dove backwards, but this gave Greenhart the opportunity to summon the dragons once more.

Roseanne cursed and summoned her tendrils, shooting them out to intercept the dragon heads. She dove forwards once more, trying to slash at Greenhart. The blonde witch blocked her strikes with her staff and parried, moving in to thrust at Roseanne. As the two battled hand to hand, their spells clashed around them, Greenhart's golden dragons weaving around Roseanne's dark tendrils as they tried to impale them. Greenhart was soaked even through her layers of clothes at this point, her hat heavy from the water it soaked up and her black skirt clinging to her legs as she matched Roseanne's blows.

One of Roseanne's blades struck Greenhart in the face, sending the blonde witch staggering backwards. Seeing her opportunity, Roseanne parried Greenhart's spear away, then thrust forward with the other sword to impale her foe.

Greenhart was forced to jump back, giving Myrddin's Curse enough time to replenish the mist surrounding it. The blonde-haired witch cursed, taking a defensive stance with her staff as the light blade dissolved away. Roseanne grinned, darting forwards for another flurry of attacks.

However, in that moment, two of Greenhart's dragon heads weaved their way through Roseanne's tendrils and latched themselves onto Roseanne's armor. The shadowy energy that made up the spell was being drawn up the dragon's bodies and back to the array they were attached to, disappearing as Roseanne's armor began to fade.

Seizing her chance, Greenhart brought her hand forward, an array appearing in the air in front of her. An orb built up in front of it, swirling with blinding light before a beam of the magnitude she had fired before shot forth, engulfing Roseanne in the destructive blast.

The violet-haired mage crossed her arms in front of her as Myrddin's Curse fought to protect her, but the spell was taxing and the dragons had done their damage. The shadowy armor burned away, and Roseanne was blasted back off her feet. As the beam subsided, she slammed hard against a concrete wall behind her, cracking it as she let out a rough cough from the impact. The violet-haired witch then fell to the ground, landing roughly as she let out a grunt of pain.

Roseanne struggled to get up, but her body had taken significant damage from that last attack, parts of her arms and legs burned from the forceful blast. Wincing, she let herself splash back onto the wet ground and, with much effort, rolled over onto her back.

The sound of footsteps approached her as Greenhart made her way to her. Despite winning the fight, the blonde-haired witch seemed winded, and the arm which cast the powerful light blast twice was bleeding. In addition, her clothes were completely soaked through, and in some places the white fabric was stained a light pink from blood.

"You… you won't be able to fight the vampire in your condition, Tia," Roseanne noted, looking at the golden-haired witch up and down. The violet-haired mage let out a pained laugh, "You might have beat me, but your friends won't be so lucky. You've sent your friends away to die foolishly!

Greenhart grit her teeth and slammed her heel down on the concrete next to Roseanne's head, turning her pupils into pinpricks as she stared up at the blonde witch.

"You're wrong." Greenhart yelled, "Those two… they definitely have the power to defeat that vampire."

"How can you be so sure?" Roseanne asked, grinning mockingly, "You don't even know which vampire was released! That means you're confident a those two can take on a Class-A vampire! Even wounded, a vampire of that level would cause problems for you and I!"

"Miyako Mizuki may be far more powerful than any human, but she's still hopelessly weak in the face of a vampire who can use magic," Greenhart admitted, "And while Kenji seems to do well against opponents stronger than him, I think it'll be hard for him to lure the vampire into a trap. It's true that they're up against an opponent vastly stronger than both of them."

"Then why!?" Roseanne demanded, "Why are you so confident a vampire with no magic and a no-name Esper can take down even a Class-A vampire!?"

"Because," Greenhart paused, looking up to the sky. The rain had begun to let up, and the moon was already poking through an opening in the storm clouds. Looking back down at Roseanne, Greenhart stared directly into the violet-haired mage's eyes and smiled softly yet sternly, "I believe in them. It's as simple as that."

* * *

 **AN: Here we go, finally getting into the action. Tia reveals the truth behind her grimoire, and we build up to the final confrontation between Kenji's team and the vampire they've been searching for.**

 **As always, I will take this opportunity to address some of the questions and comments raised in the reviews I've gotten for the previous chapter. Both are from who I'm assuming is the same mysterious guest as the one I got into the discussion over canon characters and their place in the story. The first one was... well, embarrassing. They caught a typo for me (thanks for that, by the way). I try to reread these when I'm going through and editing them, but sometimes I wind up glossing over something and because of the way I write these (I write them in Word, then copy and paste them per-chapter to a Google Doc so a few of my beta readers can comment on it, THEN I edit it there and copy-paste into Fanfiction's Doc Manager), I have to re-add all the breaks between paragraphs in Google Docs, so I wind up having to run down the document and enter. Occasionally I'll hit enter in a weird place, or where it's not needed.**

 **Their next concern is regarding a previous review of theirs, where he asked some more questions. I had seen these, but I was a little more pressed for time than usual, and since it was more of a rebuttal to my points I didn't feel it warranted starting a debate in the author's notes and reviews. I would've PM'd them, but since they don't have an actual FF account (or at least weren't signed in) that's basically impossible. Seeing as they brought it up again, however, I'll address their point here.**

 **They brought up that they think Vampires are created by a different process than the one that creates magicians (which are really just humans who've trained) Magic Gods (which we don't really know are created, but we know it's possible to fail) and Espers (which are entirely unrelated to magic, but are still relevant to this discussion). I'd personally be inclined to agree. While I don't know what the great Kazuma Kamachi would do with vampires in his world, I like to think that turning a human into a vampire is a more physical than magical process, though one that is carried out through the use of magic. In other words, a human is physically transformed into a vampire in addition to the increased proficiency with magic. Despite the different process, however, I don't think Touma has any affect against beings that are even partly physical, which was the point I was making. I think if a human-turned-vampire could just be turned back instantly by Imagine Breaker, it would imply that rather than being a physically different being, a vampire was a human who was under the constant effects of a spell, which wouldn't make much sense. I think that the only effect Touma's Imagine Breaker would have on a vampire is preventing them from casting a spell while his right hand is in contact with them or the spell, or whatever the spell is influencing directly.**

 **They also asked when the events of Volume 2 are taking place. Volume 1 began on July 19th, and spanned for four days. Chapters 1, 2, and the first half of 3 take place in on the 19th, then the second half of 3, 4, 5, and the very first part of chapter 6 take place on the 20th. The rest of chapter 6, 7, and all but the last part of chapter 8 take place on the 21st, and the remaining two chapters take place on the 22nd. At the beginning of Volume 2, Chapter 1, I mentioned that three days have passed since the end of Volume 1 (longest three days ever, I know), which would be the 23rd, 24th, and the 25th.**

 **Volume 2 Chapter 1 starts on the 26th, and a lot happens on that date. The entirety of Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 happen on the 26th, and both Chapter 5 and this chapter take place on the 27th. So currently, Volume 2 has taken 2 days and the date is the 27th. None of this is in formation that couldn't be figured out by doing some logic and reading, but at the beginning of every Volume I'll give dates either in the story itself or in the Author's Notes to avoid confusion.**

 **Anyway, I hope I've cleared everything up, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Be sure to leave a review to tell me what you thought or to ask any questions you may have. I'll be posting new chapters on Fridays (EST) until the conclusion of Volume 2, so as always, I'll be back with another one next week!**


	19. Volume 2 Chapter 7 - Midnight Dance

**_ VOLUME 2_**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Confrontation**

 _ **Midnight_DANCE.**_

 **Part 1**

"Huh, the rain really stopped!"

"Yeah, pretty convenient, huh? That's the power of the Tree Diagram for you. Anyway, it looks like we made it."

The red-haired high school student known as Arakuyo Kenji came to a stop before one of the many shopping complexes in District 15. A large sign with the words "Midori Complex" written across it hung above the entrance from a higher floor. Behind him, the green-haired vampire known as Miyako Mizuki stopped as well, turning to look at the building apprehensively with her chin resting in one of her raised hands. The two had been walking along, umbrellas Kenji had brought along in hand and chatting along as they made their way here. Now, however, the atmosphere had become quite heavy as the two stared up at the building before them.

Somewhere in this mall was the vampire who killed Brian O'Reilly.

Kenji frowned slightly as he gazed at the closed shopping center. Large, metal shutters fell over the glass storefront, and the sign above was dark to discourage midnight stragglers from believing the store was open. They would have to break in.

"Let's go around the side," Kenji spoke suddenly, startling Mizuki a little, "If we make a hole in the front of the store, that'll draw the attention of Anti-Skill. We don't want anyone else wandering into the fight, especially with a vampire who has no qualms about killing innocent bystanders."

"Right," Mizuki nodded, a serious look plastered across her face.

Kenji smiled at the strong tone she used and nodded back before setting off for the alleyway created by the Midori Complex and the building next door. The alley was wide enough that a car could probably drive down it comfortably, but the two made their way far enough back that a hole in the wall wouldn't be readily noticed from the sidewalk.

Mizuki watched as Kenji placed his hands on the wall and closed his eyes. Instantly, a perfectly circular hole appeared in the concrete and small dust particles began to settle out of the air around them.

Shortly after his fight with O'Reilly, Kenji had explained to her exactly how his "disintegration" worked.

Kenji's power, Density Shift, allowed him to manipulate an object's density by changing an its volume or its mass. At least, that was how Kenji liked to explain it. It was actually more complicated than that in his mind, with all the equations he had to do, but the end result was that he could either affect an object's volume or mass while the other remained constant, which changed the object's density.

Kenji "disintegrated" walls and such by focusing on a simple geometric shape, usually a cylinder, of the material. He would then expand the height of the cylinder outwards, which would increase the space between the particles of wall. At a certain point, the space between the materials would become great enough that the cylinder would no longer be able to hold itself together. After realizing he could do this, Kenji began to memorize the dimensions at which he could instantly create a hole in concrete.

There were a couple setbacks to this power, however. The first was that adjusting the volume of a shape by adjusting just a single measurement while keeping the others constant required almost all of Kenji's calculating abilities. He wouldn't be able to defend while doing it, and he would have to close his eyes leaving himself open to attack.

The second was that the object had to have a smooth, flat surface, or else he couldn't use any simple geometric shapes. Because of these two things, this use of Density Shift was almost exclusively for breaking into places or creating entrances where there were none.

Mizuki peered into the dark shopping complex through the hole Kenji created, looking around for any immediate signs of danger. Greenhart said the vampire was underground, but she wasn't about to pretend the vampire could move around freely with the shopping complex closed like this. There wasn't a lot of light filtering in through the hole Kenji made, but the green-haired vampire could see well in the dark.

Satisfied that they were not in any immediate danger, Mizuki clenched her fist tightly and turned to Kenji.

"Kenji-san," Mizuki spoke, her tone taking on a fiery determination, "Do not hesitate to kill this vampire if necessary."

Kenji turned around, his eyes wide, and looked at Mizuki with a look of concern, "Mizuki-san…"

Mizuki's eyes were hardened, her teeth clenched together and her knuckles white as her fist shook. Kenji had never seen Mizuki so mad before.

"I was never powerful. I never had an unlimited potential for magic like most vampires. I think that's part of the reason I don't look down on humans. But…" Mizuki clenched her fists, "This vampire kills people without hesitation. They see humans as nothing more than prey. They won't hesitate to kill you in a single move. If you get the chance to kill them, don't feel like you need to sympathize them just because they're a vampire like me. Because I'll tell you… I am nothing like them!"

Kenji nodded, "Right. I've seen that myself through their control of Iwako-san. What this vampire has done is unforgivable."

Mizuki nodded, and the two walked into the dimly lit mall.

The dim light of the alleyway filtered into the room through the hole Kenji made, but it only illuminated a small area around the makeshift entrance. Mizuki's natural night vision was well-suited to the low light environment, but Kenji was having trouble seeing inside the dark building. Still, the red-haired Esper came prepared for this. Kenji reached into his pocket and produced a pair of what looked to be sunglasses and placed them over his face. He pressed a button on the side of the frame and the lenses lit up with a bright green glow.

Now that he could see clearly, Kenji looked around. He had broken through into what looked like a high-end clothing store. Fancy clothes with experimental designs and new materials filled the store, and mannequins were placed throughout the store, showing off some of the designer outfits. There wasn't anything else of note in the store, and there were no signs the vampire had touched this particular section of the shopping mall.

Silently, Mizuki and Kenji turned to each other and nodded before making their way through the store, reaching the exit. Luckily, this was a more open store, with glass windows and an entranceway, but no actual door. Most of the stores in Midori Complex were like this. It would've been problematic if they needed to navigate around a store when everything was locked down, but Kenji figured this was one of the reasons the vampire picked the mall in the first place.

The two stepped out of the store into the dark, open pathway and looked around, trying to find the stairs to the underground area. They turned to the left and set off, making their way towards the front entrance. They figured there'd be some sort of map or directory there they could use to find their way around the store.

A few moments later, the entrance to the Midori Complex came into view. It wasn't very lavish or ornate, but there was a large black touchscreen along the wall adjacent to the entrance. This was probably some sort of interactive map that allowed shoppers to find their way around. Next to the touchscreen was a holder with numerous pamphlets containing folded paper maps. Even in the technological boon that was Academy City, convenience and simplicity outweighed experimentation.

Kenji and Mizuki walked over to the directory and Mizuki plucked a map from the holder, unfolding it and looking it over.

"It seems like the main stairs are down that other hallway, but some of the stores here have multiple levels. If we snuck down from one of these stairs, we might be able to catch the vampire off guard."

"Hmm, but that's assuming the vampire is on the floor immediately below us, right?" Kenji asked, "I don't think we'll be able to avoid the main stairs forever, even if just one of the levels doesn't have a store going down to the one below it. We'd be wasting our time."

Mizuki looked over the map, "Hold on, give me a second…"

Unfortunately, Kenji was right. Most of the multi-level stores either went up, or went down to the first floor and stopped. There were a few stores that went down to the second floor down, but after that the multi-level stores became more and more rare.

"Damn," Mizuki frowned, "And here I thought I came up with a good idea."

"Yeah, if only we-"

A loud clunk echoed through the front of the store and Kenji immediately cut himself off. The two turned towards the entrance with wide eyes as the distinct mechanical clack of something being unlocked filled the empty store.

The large metal shutters over the doors began to rise, flooding the store with dim moonlight. Kenji squinted beneath his night vision glasses as the amplified light filled his vision. A hand grabbed his wrist abruptly and Kenji was dragged off, shoved roughly behind one of the standing signs near the front entryway. Kenji's vision adjusted and he saw Mizuki, holding his arm and peeking around the edge of the sign.

Kenji took up position next to her and peered around the other end of the sign. He watched with a shocked expression as the metal shutters over the entrance were lifted up and opened completely.

Against the moonlight flooding into the dark store, the silhouette of a feminine figure stood outside the store. The figure moved to the front doors, reaching for the lock and opening the doors. It didn't look like they were using any force, so it was likely that they had the key to the store. In other words, they weren't breaking in, they were properly unlocking the doors.

"What's going on?" Mizuki asked, looking over the map for the store hours, "This store's not supposed to open until 6:00!"

The figure opened the front doors and stepped inside, their form coming into full view. The woman was a rather young-looking figure, with short black hair and narrow grey eyes. The woman was dressed in a light grey business suit, and her lips were pursed as though she were constantly pressing them together.

She could've passed off as totally normal. That was, if two lines of blood weren't trickling down the corners of her mouth.

Abruptly, the woman's lips curled into a twisted grin, and two sharp fangs glinted in the moonlight.

"Looks like I managed to make it here without too much trouble… Master will be pleased."

" _Master…!"_ Kenji thought, eyes widening, " _Then that means… this woman is…"_

Kenji's thoughts were interrupted as he heard a small pat. A soft tap like the sound of a bare foot hitting tile. Another pat reached his ears, then another, and Kenji's heart skipped a beat. Out of the shadows, in the direction Mizuki had said the main stairway was, came a tall, masculine figure.

"Th-that's the…" Mizuki whispered, her eyes wide and shaking as she looked on.

The figure took slow, deliberate steps towards the woman who had just entered. Walking slowly into view. The vampire was wearing an open black button-up over a dark red turtleneck sweater, as well as a pair of dark grey jeans. The vampire's feet were bare, and his sleeves were rolled up, exposing arms covered in patches of scarred red skin.

The vampire's stark white hair flowed down to the back of his knees, straight locks moving with each deliberate step. His face was still mostly obscured by the darkness, but the red of his eye caught the moonlight filtering in from the entranceway and burned a red hole in the black shadows over his face.

He took a few more steps until he reached the woman at the entrance, holding his hand out for the other vampire to grasp. The woman stepped forward and nodded, looking up at the taller figure with a glassy expression.

She grasped the other vampire's hand and he immediately pulled her to him, holding his face to her neck and taking a few sniffs.

"You've gathered a lot of blood for me tonight… haven't you?" the vampire spoke. His voice was oddly chilling. The right combination of gravely and smooth baritone that sent chills of fear up Mizuki's spine. The green-haired vampire clenched the edge of the sign tightly and trembled at the sight of the white-haired figure before them.

"I worked extra hard for you tonight, Master," the woman smiled, patting her stomach like she had just eaten a big meal. The woman shuddered slightly, and more blood came trickling down the side of her mouth, "Though I feel like I may have pushed myself a little… I'm about to explode."

"Well, we can't have that, now can we?" the vampire asked, pulling the woman in closer. He stepped closer to her and into the moonlight of the front entrance, revealing the entirety of his face. The tissue around his eyes and across the left side of his face was red and marred with scar tissue, and his nose was twisted in a strange way. A large red patch of raw skin ran down his neck and disappeared underneath his shirt, and his left ear was twisted, with a chunk of cartilage completely missing.

"Don't worry… I'm starving."

With the swiftness of an animal pouncing on their prey, the vampire pushed the woman's collar down and sunk his fangs into her neck, causing the woman to relax and fall into his grasp. The vampire's eyes widened as the blood rushed from his turned servant into him, lips curling into a smile as he drank.

Wisps of white began to rise from the vampire as the scar tissue on his arms and face began to melt away, quickly replaced with healthy pink flesh. The red marks along his arms slowly began disappearing, and the mark on his neck began receding underneath his shirt.

Mizuki watched as the vampire healed himself. Healing scar tissue was always different than healing fresh wounds, and it was always more taxing. She herself knew this from experience, thanks to her run from O'Reilly leaving her blood-starved and wounded on more than one occasion. Right now, the vampire was at his most vulnerable.

The green-haired vampire tensed. This was the perfect time to strike.

She heard Kenji shift as well, leaning forwards and coiling his legs, ready to dart forwards at the vampire at any moment.

Mizuki nodded silently and darted out from around the sign.

Or at least, that's what she wanted to do.

" _What… I'm…?"_

Mizuki's eyes widened as she realized that she couldn't move. She had willed herself to dash out from behind the sign and launch herself at the vampire, but her body refused to move an inch. The green-haired vampire looked down at her legs, and noticed that they were shaking violently.

But it wasn't just her legs.

Mizuki's breath was ragged. Her palms were sweaty and she was clenching the sign so tightly that she was sure she'd bend the metal frame. Her heart was racing way faster than normal, and her toes curled in her shoes as she struggled to stand.

She was petrified.

" _What is this? My whole body is trembling… why can't I move? What's this overwhelming power I feel from him? He's letting his guard down, but I feel like the second I jump out at him, I'll die!"_

Even though she wanted to jump out and strike the vampire at the most opportune moment, Mizuki couldn't move an inch.

Kenji gave Mizuki a concerned glance before looking back over at the white-haired vampire. By the looks of the woman, who's skin had turned from a vibrant pink to a deathly pale color, the vampire was going to be finished with the woman shortly.

Even as the red-haired Esper darted forwards, Mizuki's body still refused to move.

Kenji reeled his arm back as he rushed towards the vampire, preparing to deliver a strong, augmented punch to the vampire's face. He reached the white-haired figure and drove his fist forwards, but instead of connecting with his jaw, Kenji's fist slammed into the vampire's open palm.

The vampire had reacted very quickly, reaching around the woman who was becoming his meal and grasping Kenji's fist with his right hand. Because of the awkward position, the vampire should've had next to no leverage to stop Kenji's blow, but the Esper's fist slammed into the open palm and stopped like he had just punched a solid wall.

Kenji's eyes widened and he tried to jump back, but the vampire's hand clamped around his fist and held him in place.

The vampire glared up at Kenji with angry red eyes, and the woman under his fangs began to shrivel up as he sucked the remaining blood from her body. What remained of the vampire's wounds stopped steaming, leaving very small scars littered across the white-haired figure's body.

He released the woman and she fell to the floor lifelessly, her eyes still glossed over from the vampire's trance when he bit her. The white-haired man straightened himself and released Kenji to grab his left shoulder, rotating his arm as he cracked his neck.

"Much better," he spoke, seemingly to himself, "I'd say I'm 90% healed, by my estimates."

His eyes immediately darted to Kenji and narrowed, red orbs scrutinizing the Esper as he frowned.

"It's very rude to interrupt someone while they're eating," the vampire spoke, "You're that one who fought my pet in the hospital… the one with the witch who could reverse my hypnosis, aren't you?"

Kenji opted not to respond, merely glaring at the vampire with his own amber gaze.

"Ah, but you don't look like a magician… A local, perhaps? You're one of those artificial Gemstones, aren't you? If that's the case, then what are you doing working with a magician? Has that blonde witch gotten so desperate to catch me that she's recruited help from random children?"

"I bet you're curious about that," Kenji smirked, "Too bad I don't really feel like telling you."

The vampire's face twisted in rage and he lashed out at Kenji. The red-haired Esper dodged to the side and then took two steps back.

"Impudent brat! No matter!" the vampire frowned, "Whatever your reasons are for working with that witch, I'm afraid that decision will cost you your life!"

The vampire closed the distance between himself and Kenji so fast that the red-haired Esper barely had time to dodge out of the way before the vampire's clawed hand jabbed at the air beside him. Kenji ducked underneath the vampire's arm and aimed an uppercut at the white-haired figure's chin, but the vampire leaned back away from the blow and grabbed Kenji's fist. With an air of nonchalance, the vampire tossed Kenji into the far wall, slamming the Esper into it so hard that the dark touchscreen monitor cracked as he struck it.

Kenji recovered quickly, and the instant his feet hit the ground, he launched himself towards the vampire again. Kenji brought his right arm back and charged, closing the gap between him and the vampire and bringing his arm forward. The vampire easily dodged the predictable attack, but Kenji immediately reeled his arm back and whirled around for a strong kick to the vampire's side. The white-haired man was forced to bring his arm up to block the attack. Using the kick as leverage, Kenji whirled around to behind the vampire and drove his elbow into his back.

The white-haired vampire lurched forwards as the heavy attack struck just below his shoulder blades. The man growled and whirled around to face Kenji, only for the red-haired Esper to drive his other fist into the vampire's face. The vampire took a step back, growling in anger as the punch forced him to lean back.

The vampire's lips curled into a grin, and orange runes appeared around the vampire's arms, wrapping themselves around them like snakes winding around a branch and reaching his hand. Two glowing red orbs appeared in the vampire's palms, and Kenji immediately jumped back. The vampire smashed the two orbs together roughly and they exploded outwards away from him, barely missing Kenji with the resulting fireball. The shockwave filled the mall with artificial wind, billowing the vampire's long hair as he stood smirking.

"You've earned my respect, Gemstone," the vampire grinned, "You power… it somehow enhances your physical blows to give them a force beyond that of a normal human's… If I hadn't been mostly healed, I think that last blow would've done some damage."

The vampire straightened his legs and placed his hand over his stomach before bowing politely.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Johnathan H. Langley. Before I kill you, if there's a chance, I would like to also know your name."

Kenji grit his teeth, glaring at the sudden formality the vampire was now displaying. The red-haired Esper crouched into a fighting stance and replied, "My name is Arakuyo Kenji, and don't be so certain that you can kill me!"

"Do not be so confident, human. Your powers are impressive enough to make me tell you my name, but I am not so weak, even in this state, that I cannot beat an artificial Gemstone such as yourself!"

At his words, Langley darted forwards, the same red orbs as before appearing in his hands.

When Iwako had been in the hospital, she had used destruction magic as though it were second nature. At that time, she was being controlled by the vampire before him now.

" _So, he uses destruction magic, then!? The force in that explosion before was the real deal! If I get hit by that once, then…"_

Kenji dodged to the left, avoiding the vampire as he thrust one of the orbs forwards, aiming for the Esper's torso. Langley merely smirked, crushing the orb in his hand. The runes running along his arm changed from a bright orange to a fiery red color, and he swung it sideways at Kenji.

The red-haired Esper ducked underneath the blow and stepped back, distancing himself from his opponent. The white-haired vampire's lips curled into a grin as he brought his fist down into the tiled floor below. The runes flashed briefly before the impact exploded like the orbs had before, cracking the tiles and sending broken pieces of flooring flying up into the air. The vampire punched one of the larger pieces of debris with the other orb, the resulting explosion sending it flying at Kenji at an alarming rate.

The red-haired Esper dodged to the side as the projectile plowed through the empty space where his head had just been. Kenji narrowed his eyes and looked back up to glare at the vampire, but Langley was no longer where he had been standing moments before. Kenji looked up in alarm as the vampire soared through the air towards him, his hands once again glowing with the explosive red orbs. Langley brought them together in the air and swung down at Kenji, aiming for his head.

Kenji took another leap back as the vampire's attack once again slammed into the ground. More debris was sent flying into the air, but the vampire no longer had an explosive orb on reserve to fire another one at the Esper. Instead, Langley settled for diving through the debris and aiming a punch at Kenji.

The red-haired high school student took a step to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow. Now that the vampire was so close, and hadn't restored his orbs, Kenji focused his Density Shift and altered the mass of his left arm, swinging it around to slam into the vampire's face. Langley had no time to dodge or step back, but nevertheless he grinned.

Runes appeared on the white-haired vampire's cheeks and Kenji realized his mistake. The second his fist hit the side of Langley's cheek, the runes exploded and Kenji reeled his arm back in pain. The explosion hadn't been nearly as powerful as the orbs, but Kenji's hand was red and smoke rose from it as burns stung at his knuckles.

Kenji took another step back, and noticed something familiar in the corner of his eye.

The sign.

He had given up so much ground to Langley in his battle that he was now back at the sign he had hidden behind from the beginning. Kenji didn't dare look for fear of his eyes movements being tracked by the white-haired vampire, but Mizuki was likely still standing behind the sign, frozen in fear.

It was possible Mizuki had recovered, and luring Langley here could let her get in a surprise attack, but he was far more concerned that Mizuki was still petrified. Gritting his teeth, Kenji charged forwards. He had to keep Langley in front of the sign, for her sake.

Kenji swung forwards, though as an attack out of urgency it was not very well coordinated. Langley was able to sidestep it easily, taking the opportunity where Kenji was off-balance after his charge to prep two more of his orbs. He drove a fist into Kenji's side and the orb in his hand exploded, launching Kenji violently across the room in the other direction. The red-haired Esper landed on the ground with a thud, groaning as his side smoked, his uniform charred and torn to reveal bare lightly burnt flesh underneath.

Kenji was not prepared for the amount of damage a single one of Langley's explosions could cause. The Esper grunted as he tried to pull himself to his feet, a sharp pain jolting through his side as he attempted to twist around to sit upright.

The cry of pain Kenji let out made Mizuki, who was still frozen behind the sign, swallow with a muffled gulp.

The green-haired vampire had been watching the fight so far, but her body still refused to let her move. Perhaps it was the ferocity of Langley's attacks, or the way he carried himself, but her instincts were yelling at her that he was in a league all his own.

Even though Kenji seemed to be doing fine against him now, it was clear that Langley had the upper hand, and none of Kenji's attacks had so much as scratched him. For Kenji, it was a losing battle. She didn't even think that, with her help, they'd be able to do more than scathe the vampire, but it didn't matter anyway.

Her body would not let her attack Langley.

She watched helplessly from behind the sign as Kenji pulled himself to his feet and charged once more at Langley.

The red-haired Esper swung his arm forwards at the white-haired vampire, who dodged to the side effortlessly. Kenji seemed to have been anticipating this, dropping low instantly and sweeping his leg along the ground while Langley's weight was shifted to one side. Kenji's leg slammed hard into Langley's ankle and the vampire wavered slightly, but the white-haired vampire merely smirked. With his hand outstretched, Langley waved his hand and the orb before him disappeared. The instant it vanished, a bright orange array appeared on the ground beneath Kenji, and the Esper barely had time to jump back before the floor beneath him erupted into a fiery explosion.

A hand burst through the receding explosion as Kenji jumped back, Langley grasping through the smoke and roughly clutching onto the Esper's shirt collar. The vampire then slammed Kenji into the ground with enough force to crack the already damaged tiles beneath him, causing Kenji to cry out in pain.

Mizuki winced at the sight of Kenji being lifted from the ground and tossed haphazardly across the room. He landed with a painful thud and kept sliding until his head the wall behind him. Mizuki clenched her fists, which she had shifted to grab at her knees for support, and cursed herself mentally.

" _Why am I so scared!? Why can't I attack him at all! If I was out there fighting alongside Kenji-san, he wouldn't be…"_

Mizuki squeezed her eyes shut, as though that would help her block out what she was thinking.

Kenji cried out in pain once again as Langley dug a barefoot heel into Kenji's shoulder, small cracking noises a foreshadow to what would come if the Esper remained in that position. Kenji managed to swing up at the vampire's ankle with his other arm, striking it roughly and staggering Langley enough to wriggle out from underneath his foot. The white-haired vampire didn't seem too bothered, however, and merely smacked Kenji in the side with another explosive orb as he tried to climb to his feet, sending Kenji flying again. The red-haired Esper flew through the air and landed three feet behind the sign, close enough for Mizuki to see just how injured he was.

Before the battle, she had bit him and shared some of her healing blood with him. However, it couldn't keep up with the powerful blasts Langley was using to toss him around. Kenji groaned in pain, not even immediately struggling to get up.

" _I want to run… I want to grab Kenji-san and run…"_

Suddenly, Mizuki's eyes widened and an overwhelming sense of uselessness set in as she watched Kenji climb to his feet once more.

" _Of course I want to run. It's what I'm the best at, after all. Every time I faced off against O'Reilly and Greenhart, that's what my first reaction was. Run. They were stronger than me, so I ran. That's just how I am. I wanted to be useful to Kenji-san, but all I can do… all I'm good at doing… is running."_

Kenji glanced over at Mizuki briefly, his amber eyes filled with concern and worry, but not for himself. With newfound urgency, the red-haired Esper charged past the sign and back into the fray. As she watched Kenji throw another punch at the vampire, her eyes widened as she realized what he was doing.

" _He's keeping Langley away from me. He's trying to protect me, even now! Why did I even come here? I'm so useless!"_

Mizuki watched as Langley sidestepped Kenji's punch once more. The vampire quickly primed two more exploding orbs and grabbed Kenji's arm as it swung past him, the orb exploding against Kenji's wrist as the Esper yelled in pain. Langley smiled sadistically, reeling his arm back with an open palm, ready to drive another exploding orb into Kenji's face.

"You've fought well, Esper, but this spot will be your grave!"

Langley drove his hand forward, but before it could strike Kenji's face, something slammed into the white-haired vampire's face with incredible force. The vampire staggered backwards, releasing the Esper in his hands and looking for what had just struck him.

However, there was nothing there.

Langley's eyes widened and he looked around, barely catching a glimpse of something green before a foot slammed hard into his side. He staggered slightly, glancing behind him and meeting the red eyes of Miyako Mizuki.

Watching Langley grinning sadistically as he brought his attack towards Kenji's head sparked something within Mizuki. The fear inside of her vanished instantly, replaced with a burning desire to protect Kenji. Before she even realized she could move again, Mizuki's body had launched itself towards the white-haired vampire.

"You're a… you're also a vampire!?" Langley asked, surprised, "Why are you working with this fake Gemstone and that witch!?"

"Because," Mizuki replied, glaring up at the white-haired vampire with a new-found confidence, "They're my friends, and I'll fight for them just as hard as they'll fight for me!"

Kenji grinned weakly as he clutched his injured arm, raising his good hand and flashing Mizuki a thumbs-up. The green-haired vampire smiled in spite of her guilt that it had taken her this long to jump into the fight, and she turned back to Langley.

The white-haired vampire glared at Mizuki with wide eyes before his lips twisted into a wry grin, "Friends? With a mere human? I guess I was mistaken after all. You're not a vampire! You're _pathetic!_ "

Mizuki glared at the vampire before her, her red eyes narrowing as she dropped into a fighting stance.

"Humans are not simply creatures for vampires to feed off of and control! When it comes down to it, humans and vampires are a lot alike if you ignore the vast difference in strength and magical ability. To treat humans like slaves or animals… as a vampire who understands humans, that kind of mentality pisses me off!"

Mizuki's words were followed by silence as she stared off against the white-haired vampire. The two stood about a meter away from each other, and Mizuki's muscles tensed as she waited for Langley to make his next move.

Rather than attacking, the white-haired vampire stared intensely at the green-haired vampire. Just as Mizuki was beginning to become uncomfortable with the gaze, Langley leaned back and laughed.

"Hahahahaha! I see, I see! That's what it is. You… I don't sense any mana from you at all. You don't have any capacity for magic, do you? No wonder you'd say such things. You really are closer to a human than any vampire. Very well, _girl,_ I'll show you the power of a real vampire!"

Mizuki frowned, continuing to hold her pose as she glared at the white-haired vampire. She clenched her teeth and barred one of her fangs at the Langley, her legs coiled as though she were ready to spring at him at any moment.

It looked as though the two were about to face off against each other. But this fight would not be their own.

Kenji, who was immediately behind Langley, climbed to his feet and jumped back a few steps, dropping into a considerably sloppier fighting pose considering his condition. The two stared at the vampire in between them, and Langley glanced back and forth at the both of them before his lips curled into a grin.

Langley moved his arms slowly and purposefully until he brought them together in what looked like some sort of symbol of prayer. The orange runes wrapping around his arms disappeared, and a large orange magic array appeared on the ground beneath him. Artificial wind, seemingly emanating from the array itself, As the two waited for something to happen, Langley's grin subsided, and an air of apprehension filled the mall.

"I'm done toying around. Allow me to show you the power that separates vampires from humans, and makes them worthy of nothing more than being our livestock!"

* * *

 **AN: The battle begins! And damn, even though Langley's weaker than normal, he's still no pushover.**

 **Anyway, I know I've talked extensively about his in the past few Author's Notes, but the Guest is back and he still wants to know about Touma's power in regards to vampires. Specifically, he asked me about "conversion negation", by which I assume he means Imagine Breaker's ability to potentially reverse the conversion of a human into a vampire. I'm not going to get too much into details of why I think this wouldn't happen (least of all because vampires are not entirely magic or supernatural creatures in general), but also because it would be entirely ridiculous for Touma's power to instantly and indefinitely revert a being that has been through magical means transformed entirely and permanently by a powerful spell that uses a lot of energy and takes a lot of time, especially after the spell has accomplished it's goals.**

 **If Kamachi Kazuma-sensei wants to make Vampires a part of the To Aru-verse and have his own interpretation onto how Touma's power affects vampires, I'll obviously take his word as canon, and adjust my perceptions accordingly. Until that happens, not that it will be relevant at all to this story, Touma's Imagine Breaker has no effect on humans that have already been transformed into vampires, other than disrupting their ability to use magic and disrupting all but their natural healing factor and natural physical strength. It's not like I was looking for a way to turn Iwako back into a human anyway. I could've easily given Greenhart a spell that reverses the transformation if I wanted to. In fact, the only reason I didn't was because I WANTED Iwako-san to remain a vampire, for the sake of having a human-turned-vampire around in later volumes.**

 **I hope this clears up any remaining confusion about how Touma's power effects vampires. I don't mind talking in some depth about things like this when in the Author's Notes, but I've explained all I can and any further explanation would be restating things I've already stated. Guest, I wouldn't mind continuing this conversation with you, even if you may disagree (a nice debate once in a while is fine), but I would appreciate it if you'd at least make an account here on FanFiction so that I may PM you personally if that is the case. If you have any other questions not relating to Touma's power's effect on vampire, I will be happy to answer them normally here in the AN.**

 **Anyway, I've rambled on enough and it's getting late, so... I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Remember to leave a review to tell me what you thought of the chapter, and as always, new chapters will be posted every Friday (EST) until the end of Volume II, so until then, I'll be back with another one next week!**


	20. Volume 2 Chapter 8 - Lit Fuse

**_ VOLUME 2_**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Destruction and Disaster**

 _ **Lit_FUSE.**_

 **Part 1**

Both the green-haired vampire known as Miyako Mizuki and the red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji stood on either side of Johnathan H. Langley, who was standing over a glowing array, preparing to launch some sort of attack. The orange array on the floor glowed fiercely with a bright glow, illuminating a good portion of the mall's front entrance as the white-haired vampire closed his eyes.

Mizuki clenched her fists, crouching over and coiling her muscles. Just like when he had bitten his servant earlier, he was leaving himself completely open. Yet Kenji had attacked him head on at that time, and he effortlessly blocked the Esper's attacks.

From what she had seen of Kenji, Mizuki knew she was faster on her feet than the red-haired high school student, however, she still had no way of knowing whether she could land a solid hit on Langley. Moreover, she had no way of knowing what kind of spell the white-haired vampire was preparing.

Suddenly, Langley's eyes shot open and the orange array below him erupted in a burst of light. Glowing lines spread out from the circular array like cracks, reaching the walls and crawling up them like the floor was actually shattering. Once it had finished, the whole room up to the tall ceiling was covered by the orange cracks.

"Now," Langley spoke, his voice calm, yet filled with unmistakable malice, "Allow me to show you the difference between my powers and yours!"

Mizuki and Kenji eyed Langley warily, waiting for any indication of the function of the spell he had just cast. The white-haired vampire wore a twisted grin across his face, his eyes still wide from when he opened them earlier. He leaned forwards and outstretched his arms, and something unusual happened. Rather than simply stretching out in front of him as he extended them, Langley's arms seemed to sink into the air. Ripples spread out from where his arms disappeared, like he had plunged them into a body of still water.

Mizuki's eyes widened, but before she could realize what was happening, something slammed into the side of her face with tremendous force. Mizuki instantly jumped backwards away from the attack, and was shocked to see a disembodied arm floating in the air in front of her.

Mizuki didn't have time to register what the arm meant before she felt something slam into her back. A searing pain shot through her back as a powerful shockwave blasted her off her feet and sent her tumbling forwards. The green-haired vampire winced as she forced herself back to her feet and whirled around to come face to face with Langley's other arms.

The white-haired vampire drew his arms back through the water-like ripples and Mizuki watched the arms that had just assaulted her disappear just as quickly. Langley wasted no time and plunged his right arm back through the air around him and it vanished yet again. Mizuki's eyes widened and she whirled around to spot it before it could strike her, but she found the air around her clear.

Her eyes widened and she glanced over at Kenji, who was out of Langley's line of sight. Langley's arm was hovering in the air behind him, an explosive orb primed and resting in his palm.

"Kenji, look out!"

The red-haired Esper barely had time to turn around before the disembodied hand slammed into his side, exploding with enough force to throw him back about a meter. Kenji clutched his new injury and staggered, but he managed to stay on his feet and turned around. By the time he looked up at Langley, the white-haired vampire had already retracted his hand, reeling it back along with his other arm and preparing to plunge them back into the air before him.

Kenji caught movement to his left and his eyes darted just in time to see Mizuki charging towards Langley. The white-haired vampire had seen it too, and paused before his arms passed through the space in front of him. However, he made no move to dodge, nor bock the green-haired vampire's attacks.

"Mizuki-san, wait!"

Kenji's call was too late. By the time he called out, Mizuki had leapt into the air and spun around, preparing to deliver a powerful spinning kick to the vampire's face. However, as her leg reached the space around Langley it vanished just like Langley's arms had done, and Mizuki's eyes widened.

She careened fully into the air around Langley and vanished, and Kenji's eyes immediately darted around to find her. Suddenly, a powerful kick slammed into his back and the red-haired Esper was sent tumbling to the ground. A gasp above him made him look up, and he was met with Mizuki's red gaze as she straddled his back.

"Kenji-san, are you alright?" Mizuki asked, getting off of the red-haired Esper immediately and extending a hand to help him to his feet, "Damn, I shouldn't have rushed in like that!"

"It's fine," Kenji answered, accepting the hand and glaring over at Langley, "Besides, now I pretty much understand what his spell does. There's something like a 'warp space' around Langley that connects to this entire room. Anything that passes through it, whether from inside or out, can be warped anywhere in the room at Langley's whim. Tch… that makes fighting him quite difficult."

"Are you two quite done!?"

With an impatient shout, Langley thrust both arms into the space in front of him and once again they reappeared before both Kenji and Mizuki, who were standing close together. With a flick of his wrists, Langley primed two explosive orbs and the two launched themselves backwards. With a twisted smirk, the white-haired vampire slammed the two orbs together, and the resulting explosion blasted both Kenji and Mizuki back. Luckily, since they had already been retreating from the attack, the two remained mostly unscathed.

"Difficult?" Mizuki exclaimed indignantly, picking up right where their conversation had been interrupted, "Fighting Langley like this is downright impossible! We can't even hit him!"

"You're right," Kenji nodded, "Like this, it'll be impossible to fight Langley… but that's just the thing. We don't have to!"

Mizuki's eyes widened, glancing briefly back at Langley to watch as he reeled his arms back in and prepared for another attack.

"Langley's spell is confined to this room. Meaning, all we gotta do is leave the room. He won't be able to attack us like this outside."

Mizuki's face went deadpan and she looked at Kenji with an unreadable expression,"Your plan is running!?"

Again, Langley didn't wait for Kenji to answer before plunging his arms through the warp space again. One arm swung for the red-haired Esper's face, but Kenji reacted quickly and blocked the blow with relative success. Mizuki didn't see the other hand near Kenji, so she sidestepped to the left and watched as Langley's hand swung uselessly past her arm.

Unfortunately, unlike the arm Langley had struck Kenji with, this arm was primed with one of his explosive spells. Langley bent his elbow and slammed the orb into Mizuki's arm and it exploded on contact, causing the green-haired vampire to cry out in pain.

Kenji made his way over to Mizuki with a concerned look on his face, supporting the green-haired vampire as she clutched her arm and winced.

"Are you okay? Come on, let's get out of here!"

"R-right!" Mizuki nodded.

The two turned around and dashed forwards, darting towards the doors of the mall. Kenji was slightly worried that someone outside like an Anti-Skill officer on patrol would spot them and get dragged into this unnecessarily, but it was a risk worth taking if the alternative was staying in this room.

Langley seemed to realize immediately what they were doing and frowned, reeling his arms back in faster and plunging them back in almost immediately. This time, his arms emerged from the floor of the mall in front of Kenji and Mizuki, attempting to trip them up. Mizuki leapt over the hand grasping for her legs, but Kenji was not so lucky. He felt an arm grasp at his ankle, and he nearly tripped as he staggered forwards.

"As if I'd let you leave so easily!" Langley taunted, gripping Kenji's ankle so tightly that it began to hurt.

Gritting his teeth, the red-haired Esper slipped his foot out of his shoe and kicked the hand grabbing at him, forcing Langley to reel his hand back in with nothing but Kenji's empty sneaker. Kenji immediately darted off for the door again, catching up with Mizuki and reaching the glass doors.

Suddenly, however, the air before them shimmered slightly and Langley's arms popped out from the air in front of them. However, this time it wasn't just his arms. Langley's head emerged from the air as well, and it kept going until his entire upper body was sticking out of the air before the door.

"Did you not hear me? I said I am not about to let you leave so easily!"

Almost instantly, both Mizuki and Kenji dodged to either side, aiming for passing around Langley rather than face him head-on. Langley laughed, merely summoning two orbs in each of his palms and smashing them together like before.

Another explosion shook the mall, and a large fireball erupted from the vampire's hands, engulfing both Kenji and Mizuki and blasting them backwards. A thick cloud of smoke clouded the entrance and blocked out what little moonlight had been filtering in through the windows, leaving only the eerie glow of Langley's spell covering the room.

Suddenly, a figure burst forth from the clouds and rushed towards one of the storefront windows. It was Mizuki, covering her face with her arms and preparing to smash through the window and escape the mall. Mizuki leapt off the ground and braced herself, but even after she closed her eyes at the last second, nothing happened.

Mizuki opened her eyes and gasped. She was sure she had run at full-speed at the glass, but now she was on the other side of the room. She glanced behind her and the residual rippling of Langley's warp spell in the air told her all she needed to know.

"Hahaha! Fool! Did you really think a spell like this would have such a glaringly obvious weak point? Once an area is chosen, you can't enter or exit until the spell is released! There's no escape-"

The white-haired vampire was abruptly cut off when a fist burst through the thick smoke and slammed into Langley's face. The blow was strong enough to knock Langley's upper body back through the warp space and reappear in the center of the magic array. The smoke cleared, revealing Kenji grinning confidently back at Langley, facing where his upper body had just been.

"I figured it was something like that," Kenji grinned, "but I managed to draw you out, didn't I?"

"Tch," Langley scoffed, wiping a small trickle of blood where Kenji's fist had split his lip, "Don't get cocky just because you managed to land a single hit. With your pathetic ability, it'll take at least one hundred more punches like that to finish me off! Whereas you and your little friend there already seem worn out."

Kenji frowned. Langley wasn't wrong. Kenji had taken quite the beating in his time fighting the white-haired vampire, and the fact that he had been fighting steadily the whole time wasn't helping. Mizuki was a little better off, but the fact remained that Langley was a far more powerful opponent than either of them.

Both Kenji and Mizuki realized it at the same time. They needed to end this fight quickly.

"You're helpless against me in this room!" Langley boasted, "Now run around like fools until you die!"

Langley thrust his hands through the warp space in front of him once more, but he was not aiming for Kenji this time. His hands appeared behind Mizuki, and he quickly primed them with explosive orbs.

Mizuki reacted quickly and ducked below the attack, watching Langley's arms fly over harmlessly. Before Langley could react, Mizuki reached up and grabbed the white-haired vampire's arms and held them in place.

"H-huh!?"

"It's true that you seem pretty invincible as long as you're using this kind of spell," Mizuki noted, "But there are limitations! Kenji's punch showed that you're vulnerable when you attack, and even if you control where the portal opens to…"

Mizuki yanked on Lanley's arms as hard as she could, and the white-haired vampire found himself being drawn through the warp space before him until his entire upper body was before the green-haired girl.

"Once it's open, you can be forced through it!"

While still clutching Langley's arms, Mizuki jumped and brought her leg up, kicking Langley in the face. She flipped over his upper body that was sticking out of the portal and twisted his arms so she was now standing behind him with his arms held behind his back.

"Let go of me, you pitiful excuse for a vampire!"

Mizuki grit her teeth. She knew she was a weak vampire. The weakest vampire, according to the Irish Catholic Church. She hated not having magic. She hated not being strong enough to do anything but run for the longest time. And even now, she hated how she froze up in the face of a stronger foe.

Yet, hearing it from the white-haired _monster_ in front of her only served to enrage her. Out of that anger, she twisted Langley's arms roughly, causing the white-haired vampire to wince in pain.

"If being a vampire means throwing away all respect for life out of some self-entitled superiority complex, then I'd rather be human!" Mizuki declared angrily. Shifting her attention to a point beyond Langley, she called out, "Kenji-san!"

"Right!"

Langley looked up at the sound of the voice and found Kenji standing in front of him, his eyes closed and his fist already clenched.

"You said it would take a hundred punches to defeat you, right?" Kenji asked, opening his eyes and revealing amber orbs burning with determination, "Well, I'll finish you off in just one!"

Kenji kicked off the ground and launched himself towards Langley, who was still struggling to escape Mizuki's grasp. Mizuki's face was red with the strain of holding the stronger vampire in place, but as long as it was for a few more seconds, she could manage.

Kenji was also struggling against the newfound weight of his own arm. Raising his fist upright was taxing enough, to say nothing of the effort it took to reel it back for a punch. Still, this was it. He couldn't guarantee they'd be able to catch Langley off-guard again.

He had pushed his ability to its limits with this punch.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Kenji yelled, reeling his arms back as he charged at his white-haired opponent.

Kenji look one final step and drove his fist into Langley's face once more, this time with a weight so strong there was a loud, echoing crack as Langley's face twisted from the impact. Mizuki let go of the vampire and he collapsed backwards once more, flying back through the portal and landing on the floor in the center of the room. Even from his position on the ground, it was clear that his lips and nose were bleeding severely, and his cheek was swollen where the punch had struck.

Langley tried to bring himself to his feet, but he staggered and fell over.

"W-what the… my head… I feel sick to my stomach…"

The white-haired vampire struggled to stand, grasping his head and tottering like a drunken man. Overcome with severe nausea, the vampire stumbled forwards and vomited a mixture of bile and blood up onto the floor in front of him and then collapsed backwards onto the floor again.

"Give it up, Langley," Mizuki commanded, "You won't be able to fight even one of us in that state, let alone both of us. It's over."

Kenji walked over to Langley as he sat collapsed on the ground, unable to reach him with the spell still active, but reaching out his hand regardless.

"It's true we were trying to find you, but it was never my intention to destroy you. You've killed people, and that's unacceptable, but I refuse to use that as a justification for killing you. We will restrain you, and you won't be allowed to just do whatever you want, but you don't have to die. Humans and vampires can work alongside each other as equals, after all."

Kenji turned to Mizuki as he spoke that last sentence, and the green-haired vampire smiled warmly.

"As… equals?" Langley looked up at Kenji's outstretched hand, eyes wide. There was still anger burning in the red-haired Esper's eyes, but there was also compassion in his eyes. Kenji was a person who legitimately did not want to take life if there was another option.

"Tch, is there truly no limit to your foolishness!?"

Langley's lips curled into a wry grin as he pulled himself to his feet shakily. He still wasn't completely healed, but he had regained enough of his senses to manage at least that much.

"I don't have to die if I surrender and agree to your whims? Ha, what a farce! Right from the beginning, I've already cornered you with no hope of escape! I still have the upper hand, fools!"

Langley clapped his hands together and the red cracks running along the floor instantly began to glow brighter, the light blinding both Mizuki and Kenji as it engulfed the entire front entrance of the mall.

" _Wait, they're red!?"_

Kenji's eyes widened. He was sure that when the cracks first appeared, they were orange. Somehow, during the course of the fight, they had changed color. It was just like Langley's explosion spells.

Could it be this whole time they were caught in a bomb!?

Kenji turned to Mizuki in a panic, but he was unable to say anything before the white-haired vampire acted.

Laughing maniacally, Langley extended his hands outwards as the red light turned white.

A blinding flash of heat and light burst forth from the glowing array spread across the entire room. The explosion engulfed the front of the shopping mall, flames and heat scorching all but the small cylinder around Langley. The floor tiles cracked and the ceiling crumbled, blasted by the powerful shockwave created by the fireball. The windows shattered outwards from the heat, and the powerful blast bent the steel frames.

From the streets, all that could be seen was the front entrance of the Midori Complex giving way to the sea of broken glass and fire that spewed forth as the windows broke and the doors were blown off their hinges. Thick black smoke quickly took the place of the flames as the explosion died down, concealing the entire entrance from view.

Out of the smoke, a lone figure staggered, clutching his head as he limped out of the explosion. Langley looked back at the building and the aftermath of the destruction that no one could have survived and grinned.

"Your mistake was assuming that, because the glowing cracks had appeared right as I started using the space-warping spell, that meant they were the same spell. It gave me enough time to properly charge the destruction spell to its maximum effectively. For that error, you paid with your lives."

Langley scoffed as he turned back around, staggering slightly as he stepped onto the sidewalk, "Still, this injury will take some more time to heal. If the Irish Catholic Church is truly here searching for me, moving locations to a different part of the city might be worthwhile…"

Before Langley could take two steps, however, he heard the sound of rushing air and something slammed roughly into his back. The white-haired vampire staggered forwards, still unsteady on his feet, as he felt the force push off and the sound of feet landing on the ground behind him.

The white-haired vampire turned around, coming face to face with the injured form of Miyako Mizuki. The green-haired vampire's clothes were torn, her skin was burned in certain places, and blood dripped from multiple wounds onto the concrete beneath her. She had sustained injuries her natural healing was struggling to keep up with, and she looked like she was ready to collapse any minute.

On top of that, in her arms she was carrying the equally bloodied form of Arakuyo Kenji, who's closed eyes and strained but even breathing made it clear he was unconscious.

She was well more injured than Langley, and she would receive no help from Kenji this time.

Yet somehow, she managed a glare that made even Langley hesitate.

"So, you survived. I'm impressed, _vampire…_ "

Without a word, the green-haired girl bent down to place Kenji on the sidewalk gently. She took a few unsteady steps around him, placing herself in between him and the white-haired vampire before her.

"Ordinarily, I'd say that you surviving was pointless, because I would just turn around and kill you now. But I'm feeling generous tonight. If you run, I'll let you live, provided you don't come after me again."

Mizuki's legs tensed and she kicked off the ground with all her strength, launching herself into the sky. She twirled around in midair and brought her leg downwards, aiming for Langley's face. The white-haired vampire raised his arms to block the blow, catching Mizuki's leg and stopping it in its tracks. Still, Langley was still unsteady, and his lack of stability caused him to stagger. Mizuki kicked off of Langley's block and spun around again, slamming her foot into the side of Langley's head as he stumbled back.

Langley cursed, shaking off the blow as best as he could and glaring in front of him.

"So be it, _girl_. If you have a death wish, then- Huh!?"

Langley had turned to face where he assumed Mizuki was. Yet when he looked, the green-haired vampire was nowhere to be seen. The white-haired vampire growled as he swung his arm around, blocking another kick aimed at the small of his back as he turned on his heel.

"Do you think you have the upper hand just because you've gotten faster?"

Glowing red runes snaked down Langley's arms and wrapped around his fingers, steaming with arcane energy. He tightened his grip on Mizuki's foot and the runes on the arm grasping it began glowing yellow. Mizuki's eyes widened and she whirled around, using the white-haired vampire's grip on her leg as leverage to hoist her into the air. She aimed another kick at Langley's head, and slammed her foot into his temple, forcing him to loosen his grip on her leg. She pulled back just in time, and Langley's hand exploded and engulfed the air around her in thick black smoke.

Mizuki landed on the ground, her view of the white-haired vampire obscured by the smoke. The green-haired girl tensed up, seeking to peer through the smoke to anticipate Langley's next move.

A loud shout came from within the cloud, and with it dozens of red magic arrays appeared on the ground around Mizuki. With wide eyes, Mizuki dodged out of the way as pillars of hot flame rose from the arrays and stretched out into the night sky. More arrays appeared on the ground, and just as the first burst of flame died down, pillars rose up from the new arrays to replace them.

Mizuki dodged out of the way again, but the pillars kept moving, rising and falling faster and faster with each cast. The vampire's enhanced speed was allowing her to keep up with Langley, but just barely. One managed to graze her arm, and the vampire let out a cry of pain as the heat of the blast licked at her flesh.

A few moments later, the pillars died down, and Mizuki tensed up to anticipate her opponent's next move. The green-haired vampire was panting heavily from the exertion of dodging the intense attack, and her injured arm was dangling limply at her side, her healing ability no longer able to heal even severe injuries. Still, the smoke cloud lingered in the air around Langley, most likely the result of a spell to obscure him from Mizuki's view.

There was a bright flash of red from within the cloud, and Mizuki dashed to the right just as Langley's form emerged from the smokescreen. He shot forwards past her at blinding speeds, his body completely covered with the red runes he had used before.

Noticing that Mizuki had evaded his attack, Langley roared in frustration and swung an arm out behind him. The runes snaked around his arm moved across his body and gathered in the palm of his hand before exploding, propelling the white-haired vampire forwards with the shockwave.

Langley opened his palm and extended his arm forwards as he dove towards the green-haired vampire. Mizuki was unable to dodge in time, and she felt his clawed fingers grasp at her face. He allowed his momentum to carry him past her, dragging her with his hand and shoving her into the wall of a nearby storefront. The wall cracked from the impact, and the air in Mizuki's lungs was forced out from the rough blow.

Langley did not let up, however, and Mizuki became instantly aware of glowing red light right over her face. The runes snaking around Langley's other arm were moving towards his palm as well, giving off an uncomfortable heat as they glowed against Mizuki's face.

Without releasing her, Langley grinned, "Your burst of strength was little more than an act of desperation. The result of some foolish desire to protect that human and his human ideals. However, it was short-lived. Once I wore you down, it was simply a matter of restraining you and finishing you off up close. This is a power and skill I've cultivated for over 100 years. There is no way a pathetic vampire who doesn't use a lick of magic could possibly defeat me, _girl_."

Langley clenched his hands tighter around Mizuki's face, and the runes in his hand exploded violently. Blood splattered onto the white-haired vampire and thick black smoke swirled around him. He felt the struggling vampire in his grasp fall limp, and closed his eyes as he let Mizuki's body fall limply to the ground.

"Too bad. As pathetic as you proved yourself to be, I don't like it when I'm forced to kill other vampires."

Langley moved to wipe the blood from his face, but he paused when he felt something unusual. A small scratch on his cheek let Mizuki's blood mingle with his, and his cheek began tingling as the small wound closed itself up. But it was more than that. The raw skin and the swelling on the other side of his face from Kenji's punch healed and the pain was reduced to a dull ache.

"W-what the hell?" Langley asked, looking down at the vampire beneath him, "Without magic, this girl's blood is…!?"

Suddenly, it clicked in Langley's mind. The vampire, Miyako Mizuki, had spent an indeterminate amount of time without the ability to use magic. Of course her body would adapt to counteract this lack of magic. Her blood was saturated with far more of the natural healing factor that a normal vampire had.

"This is… If I drink that girl's blood, my injuries from tonight, as well as from spending a century in Stoker's Coffin…"

Running his tongue along his lips, the vampire smirked and bent down, grabbing Mizuki's shoulder and pulling her off the ground. She didn't respond, but Langley could still feel her blood coursing through her veins.

He positioned the limp girl in his arms and moved his head closer to the raw, singed skin on the surface of Mizuki's neck. Barring his fangs, he bit into the green-haired vampire's flesh and pierced her veins, drawing her blood and letting it mingle with his own.

The white-haired vampire's eyes widened immediately, feeling a tingling sensation spread across his entire body immediately. The ache in his head dulled as he felt the bones shift back into their proper place. Underneath his clothes, he could feel his scars and bruises from the multiple injuries he had gained since removing himself from Stoker's coffin disappear. Cuts on his face and arms closed up, leaving only trails of drying blood to indicate he had even been injured.

In addition to healing him completely, he could no longer feel the physical weakness from his prolonged stay in Stoker's Coffin, or the exhaustion from the fight he just had.

"Put her down."

Langley's eyes shot behind him and he stopped drinking from Mizuki, turning around and looking behind him. Kenji stood where Mizuki had set him down after escaping the building, looking less battered than he had been initially.

The red-haired Esper wasn't crouched into any sort of fighting stance, nor did he look as though he were about to launch himself towards the vampire. In fact, his demand had been spoken calmly yet sternly, as though he were making a demand rather than a threat.

"I said, put her down."

Langley smirked, removing his fangs from Mizuki's neck and turned to face Kenji, "Are you threatening me? Hahaha, what can you do against me, fake Gemstone? Before, I was weakened severely by the century I spent in that accursed prison. But thanks to your vampire friend, I have recovered practically all of that strength! Before it took all you had to even injure me. Now you're powerless against me! Powerless, you hear-!?"

Langley cut himself off and his eyes widened when he saw the red-haired Esper before him kick off the ground and lunge at him at superhuman speeds. Langley himself had trouble keeping up with Kenji's movements as the high school student swerved around him. Langley removed one of his arms from Mizuki and raised it to block a kick aimed high at his face.

Kenji's foot slammed hard into Langley's hand, and the vampire strained against the powerful blow. Veins popped out of the back of his hand and down his arms as he tried to stop the powerful impact, and was eventually forced back a few steps to prevent the back of his hand from smacking his face.

Kenji drew his leg back and dropped into a fighting stance, arms raised and muscles tensed. Glaring at Langley, he repeated himself, "Put. Her. Down."

The white-haired vampire took another step back under the piercing glare of Arakuyo Kenji. Dark rage burned like fire in his eyes, but that alone wasn't enough to phase the centuries-old vampire. Rather, there was something else different about the Esper that Langley noticed the instant he caught Kenji's kick.

In addition to the superhuman speed and strength the red-haired Esper seemed to have acquired, Kenji's eyes had changed color. Before, the Esper's eyes were an orange-amber color, Reminding Langley of the dull flames of a candle. Now, however, they were shimmering in the moonlight, glowing a brilliant silver-white.

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: Are you hype? Because I'm hype! Anyway, here's Chapter 8! This battle looks like it's gonna come down to Kenji vs. Langley, and Kenji's got that strange clarity again.**

 **Once again, I'd like to address a couple of concerns from the Reviews. Nothing much this time. There's the mysterious guest who pointed out that it's nearing the end of the Index Arc. That is true. For the record, before planning out my Volumes I figure out where the story I want to write fits into the actual To Aru timeline, then figure out specific dates and brush up on the specific dates in To Aru.**

 **Also, particularly observant readers (like guest) may have noticed that this and the previous chapter only had a single part to them, yet still had the "Part 1" indication at the beginning. This is purposeful. If I leave that out, it'll be an indication that there will only be a single part to the chapter, which depending on the circumstances could spoil the length of a particular fight or scene. Because of that, even chapters that only have one part will still have a part indicator at the beginning of the chapter.**

 **Anyway, that's really all I have to cover for today, so... I hope you enjoyed the chapter! If you liked the chapter or have any questions, feel free to leave a review! We're definitely reaching the climax of Volume 2, so there's probably not going to be many more chapters after this. Until then, however, I'll be posting new Chapters every Friday (EST), so I'll be back with another one next week!**


	21. Volume 2 Chapter 9 - Pillar of Light

**_ VOLUME 2_**

 **Chapter 9**

 **Last Stand**

 _ **Pillar_of_LIGHT.**_

 **Part 1**

The red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji lunged forwards, dashing towards the vampire Johnathan H. Langley. The white haired vampire, who was still clutching the unconscious and heavily injured form of Miyako Mizuki, leapt backwards as Kenji drove a fist through the air where he had just been standing.

"Put her down, Langley!" the red-haired Esper yelled, his burning rage finally surfacing as he glared at the white-haired vampire.

No longer acting so calm, Kenji threw another punch at Langley, but the white-haired vampire dodged out of the way easily. However, as he stepped back, Langley felt the ground give out from underneath him. Looking down, Langley noticed that a small half-sphere of sidewalk beneath him had practically disappeared, and the edge of the newly formed hole was touching Kenji's feet. Dust particles began settling out of the air around him as he stumbled backwards.

Kenji wasted no time, darting in while Langley was unbalanced and drove his fist into the white haired vampire's face. Langley's eyes widened as he felt the cartilage in his nose pop and twist and his upper lip split from the attack. The punch was even stronger than when Kenji had pushed his ability to the limits, but he had just thrown it like an ordinary blow.

The immense force of the impact caused Langley to release his grasp on Mizuki, and Kenji snatched her up before the white haired-vampire could react. The red-haired Esper leapt back and readjusted his grip on the girl so he was carrying her with one arm around her shoulders and another supporting her legs under her knees.

Mizuki's breaths were shallow and weak, her chest barely rising as she took in air. Her green hair was black and singed in some places and matted with blood in others, which fell to cover her heavily injured face. Blood seeped from underneath her matted bangs, and Kenji couldn't bring himself to inspect the damage to its fullest.

Kenji looked around, spotting a bench not too far from where he was standing, but far enough from the storefront that he could put Mizuki there without worrying about her getting caught up in their battle. Dashing over there with the same speed he used against Langley, the red-haired Esper reached the bench and lowered the green-haired girl down onto it.

After taking one last look at Mizuki, Kenji clenched his fists and whirled around to glare at Langley. The white-haired vampire had stumbled from the attack earlier, but was now pulling himself to his feet. He wiped off the blood dripping from his face to reveal the broken nose and split lip he had sustained earlier were gone.

"Your power has increased so suddenly. That's impressive, human," Langley observed, dusting himself off, "But it changes nothing. I drank a substantial amount of blood from that girl already. Her healing factor and mine will work together to heal my body. Even now, the injuries you gave he have disappeared!"

Langley let out a short chuckle, extending his arms out around him. A magic array appeared on the ground beneath him, and countless runes appeared on the ground below.

"I'm now at my full strength! It took all your strength to hurt me before when I was weakened! Now there's nothing you can do against me! That girl is already going to die. You were a fool not to run and regroup with that annoying witch friend of yours!"

Like when he was fighting with Mizuki, large pillars of flames erupted from the ground beneath him, bathing the area in orange light as heat swelled up around him. Unlike the previous time he used the spell, however, the flames rose into the air for about ten meters, then looped back down to the ground, crashing into the sidewalk and disappearing. As they rose back out of the ground, the flames at the peaks of the pillars formed into the heads of serpents as they reached their peak.

These fiery snakes began moving, gravitating from around Langley towards where Kenji stood over Mizuki.

Realizing he was putting the green-haired vampire in danger, Kenji leapt away from the bench and dove in Langley's direction. The flaming serpents weaved their way up and down, seeking out the red-haired Esper and crashing down over him. Despite the dragon's speed and number, Kenji weaved seamlessly through the attack, slowly making his way towards the white-haired vampire.

Langley growled in frustration as he watched Kenji avoid each attempted strike by his spell. The white-haired vampire swung his arm forwards towards the serpents and an orange magic array appeared in the air before his hand. Each of the snake's eyes lit up with a bright yellow glow and they all turned and dove into the ground, disappearing into the concrete as though they had been dispelled.

But Kenji wasn't about to let his guard down.

The red-haired Esper immediately turned his attention to the ground beneath him, white eyes scanning intently over the concrete for any sign of the attack. Suddenly, a rush of heat and the crackling of fire came from behind him, and Kenji whirled to face it immediately.

All of the fire snakes burst forth from the ground at once, aimed directly at the red-haired Esper. Kenji shielded himself with his arms as they rushed towards him, flanking him on all sides to prevent him from weaving through them. One sprung forwards, it's hot fangs digging into Kenji's arm as it bit down on him and restricting his movements further. Another one bit down on him, and soon all of the snakes had homed in on their target and latched onto him.

Kenji gritted his teeth from the pain, but the attack didn't seem to stop there. All at once, each of the snakes began to glow a bright yellow, and the Esper's white eyes widened.

"Run from this, fake Gemstone!" Langley shouted, waving his hand.

All of the snakes exploded violently, lighting up the sky with a bright orange fireball as the blast rattled nearby shop windows. Smoke swirled through the air violently, following the turbulent winds created from the blast.

Langley expected Kenji to fall to the pavement with a thud as his charred body gave in to the powerful attack, but when the smoke cleared, he was greeted with an entirely different sight.

A glint appeared through the settling dust as the form of Arakuyo Kenji came into view, the glowing white irises nearly washing out all of his eyes with a brilliant silver glow. Air swirled around Kenji's form and was pushed outwards by some unknown force, blasting the rest of the smoke and dust away.

At the last minute, the red-haired Esper had taken some of the air around him and condensed it with his volume manipulation to occupy a very small space. He used this pressurized gas as a shield, focused at the front to counteract the brunt of the explosion.

It was a shield technique he would not be able to use, were it not for the extreme clarity of his mind.

However, it also had two negative side effects, and Kenji cringed as he felt both of them.

" _I was able to block a majority of that blast, but that was a gamble… by increasing the amount of air around me, I increased the amount of oxygen that could combust with the flames… not to mention that condensing air like that already heats it up a significant amount…"_

Kenji looked down at his arms, where most of the snakes had bitten onto. Much of his flesh was scorched red, and some was burned even worse where the fangs had dug into his skin. Naturally, that kind of shield was useless against attacks that had already hit.

Still, Kenji didn't have time to worry about that.

Langley let out an angry growl and launched himself towards the red-haired Esper, bringing his arm back and summoning another one of his exploding orbs in his open palm. He reached Kenji within moments, stopping just before him and bringing the orb forwards in an attempt to slam it into the Esper's torso. Kenji reacted quickly, dodging to the left as Langley's arm moved past him.

At least, that's what Kenji expected to happen.

Instead, Langley's arm vanished as it hit the air where Kenji had just been, sending ripples through the air like he had plunged his hand into clear water.

Kenji had seen those ripples before.

Whirling around quickly, Kenji barely had enough time to cross his arms in front of his face before Langley's arm appeared in the air behind him and drove the bright orange orb into them. The explosion wasn't as strong as the last one Langley had used, but Kenji was caught off guard and he couldn't focus in time to shield himself from the blast.

The red-haired Esper cried out in pain as he staggered backwards, recovering just in time to see Langley reel his arm back and ready another orb behind him. Kenji recovered and whirled around, stepping sideways as the vampire tried to thrust the second orb into his back.

Because Langley had intended to catch Kenji off-guard with the attack in the first place, his arm did not disappear as it plunged through the air where Kenji had just been. The red-haired Esper seized this opportunity and grabbed the vampire's arm and pulled Langley towards him. Kenji then whirled around and drove an elbow into Langley's ribs with a loud cracking sound.

Langley let out a cry of pain as he staggered backwards, grasping his ribs and glaring at the red-haired Esper. However, Kenji was not about to let up. He whirled around again immediately and kicked the white-haired vampire in the face. Langley stumbled backwards and let out a frustrated growl, regaining his balance enough to remain upright.

When Langley looked up, Kenji had already closed the small distance between the two, with a fist reeled back in preparation for another attack. As the Esper swung his fist forwards, Langley stepped to the side and ducked down, preparing another one of his explosive orbs in his hand. Kenji was caught off balance after his attack, and Langley drove the orb into Kenji's side.

The red-haired Esper was blasted back, half-stumbling, half-skidding against the ground as he tried to recover the attack. However, instead of going after him for a physical counter, Langley opened his palm and black runes appeared all over his arm, running up and down like tattoos in no foreseeable pattern.

"For dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return."

As Langley spoke the incantation, the black runes began moving down his arm slowly, migrating across the surface of his skin towards his open palm. As they moved, a black, marble-sized orb appeared in the air in front of his palm and began growing.

Kenji, in the meantime, had recovered and was now watching Langley apprehensively, his arms raised defensively and his muscles coiled in preparation for darting out of the way of any attack.

Once the ball grew to the size of a bowling ball, it stopped and a dark purple array encircled it vertically like a ring around a planet. Langley allowed a small smirk to grace his lips before thrusting his palm forwards. Instantly, black energy burst forth from the orb and widened into a beam of black energy.

Kenji sprang to the left as the beam passed by him and glanced at the attack. The black energy swirled through the air as it shot forwards, making no sound as it rushed past Kenji's arm. The beam continued to extend past Kenji until it struck a storefront.

In that moment, however, Langley shifted his weight and began moving his arm, adjusting the beam and moving it towards Kenji. The red-haired Esper's eyes widened as he dashed sideways and ran, moving to circle Langley. As the beam moved, Kenji glanced back at the storefront it had struck and his eyes widened. The area of the storefront that the beam touched was gone like it had simply disappeared, leaving behind a clean cut hole that was growing longer as the beam tore into more of the storefront.

As Kenji ran, Langley moved the beam behind him, but his movements were sluggish, like the beam created some sort of weight that prevented him from moving it quickly. Kenji was able to keep plenty of distance between him and the beam. He flanked Langley and started dashing towards him, his arm reeled back with a fist clenched.

As Kenji grew closer to Langley, the white-haired vampire turned towards him quickly. Langley then closed his palm, and the beam tapered off immediately. However, the orb hadn't disappeared completely. Instead, the orb had moved from Langley's left hand to his right hand, and aimed it directly at the charging Kenji.

"I told you from the beginning, fake Gemstone! There's nothing you can go against me! I WILL CEASE YOUR SENSELESS SQUIRMING!"

The dark beam once again shot outwards, launching towards Kenji at point blank range. The black energy swirled outwards and engulfed everything before the white-haired vampire.

Langley allowed himself a small smirk when he noticed that Kenji had not dodged to the right or the left before the beam blasted forwards, relaxing and letting the beam trickle off and dissipate. However, in that instant, he caught movement above him out of the corner of his eye, and glanced upwards with wide eyes.

In the air was Kenji, coming to a temporary stop as he reached the peak of his jump, with his knees bent as he prepared to land. He had managed a jump much higher than what would be ordinarily possible for a human, and when he began to fall he accelerated faster than Langley expected. The second he hit the ground, he kicked off and dashed towards Langley at an impossible speed.

Langley rose his arm again, gathering the black runes in his palm once more. He began to charge another dark beam of destruction, but it was too late.

Even though he fired early, Kenji had reached him, knocking his arm upwards as the beam shot harmlessly into the open air above them.

"And I thought I told you, Langley," Kenji retorted, bringing his fist back, "If it'll take a hundred punches to finish you off, then I'll do it in just one!"

Kenji closed his eyes for the briefest moments before opening them and swinging his arm forward. Langley quickly moved his open palm to catch Kenji's fist, an explosive orb appearing in his hand as he met the blow. He batted the fist to the side, and the orb exploded, injuring Kenji's arm further and rendering it unusable.

However, there was a problem.

That had been a normal punch. There was no extra weight behind it.

Langley's eyes widened and he noticed that Kenji's other fist was coiled back as well.

His one arm was outstretched from the beam that he has shot fruitlessly into the air, and his other hand had just blocked a fake attack by the red-haired Esper.

There was nothing for him to do now but take the full brunt of Kenji's attack.

Kenji brought his fist forwards, slamming it into Langley's head with an incredible force. Much like the last time he had hit him, Langley's head made sickening cracking and crunching sounds as the Esper's punch made contact. Unlike last time, however, there was so much weight in Kenji's fist that Langley was literally blown backwards by the impact.

The white-haired vampire's body was flung backwards, practically flying for a few moments before tumbling against the ground and finally hitting the window of a nearby boutique, which shattered as he slammed into it. Langley's body landed in the storefront display, knocking over a few mannequins and collapsing with his legs dangling out of the window to fall upon the sidewalk below.

Kenji waited a few moments, watching Langley's body carefully for any signs of movement. Once he was satisfied that Langley was no longer moving, the red-haired Esper turned around to face the bench he left Mizuki on.

He took one step and suddenly the whole world began to spin. A sharp pain shot through his head and the clarity that had aided him so well in the battle had faded. After a brief, fruitless attempt to keep himself standing upright, Kenji's legs gave out from underneath him, and he began to fall forwards towards the ground.

Closing his eyes and preparing for a painful impact with the asphalt, Kenji reached out towards where Mizuki lay with his good arm in what he expected to be a useless gesture. However, he felt someone grasp his arm, and suddenly there was support underneath him in the form of a warm hand. On his stomach.

"Easy there," the voice spoke, "You've fought well, Arakuyo Kenji."

Kenji opened his eyes weakly, glancing up at the familiar face before him.

"Tia-san..."

Then, without another word, the red-haired Esper slumped forwards, losing consciousness in the blonde witch's arms.

* * *

 **Part 2**

Tia Greenhart laid Kenji down on the ground next to the bench she had found Mizuki on, letting out a heavy sigh as she looked over the two of them. They were both in terrible state, skin burned and charred in places from fire and explosion, dust and dried blood caked over their clothes and their hair, and various injuries littering both of their bodies.

One of Kenji's arms looked like it had caught the brunt of an explosion, and the other arm was both broken and dislocated, no doubt the result of Kenji's last, incredibly forceful attack against Langley.

However, Mizuki had by far the worst injuries. Her face was a bloody mess, and she was practically unrecognizable. Even her green hair was mostly obscured by equal parts black char and brown blood. The vampire's skin was a ghostly pale color, and Tia had to place her hand in front of the vampire's nose to feel her breath to even tell if she was alive.

" _If she were a normal vampire, I wouldn't be concerned, but without magic to heal her, her life is in serious danger…"_

The blonde-haired witch pulled a familiar vial from her pocket, frowning at the contents therein. A pale golden liquid splashed against the walls of the glass bottle, but when settled the liquid barely came a quarter of the way up the bottle.

" _There's not even enough here to save Mizuki-san, let alone heal Arakuyo-san or myself… This is bad, but it's not like I can take Mizuki-san to the hospital in this condition without them asking too many questions…"_

Letting out a heavy sigh, Tia spoke aloud to herself, "I guess I have no choice. I'll have to use that vampire's blood to make more extract, and I might even be able to transfuse some into Mizuki's body."

Turning around, Tia glanced back at the boutique where Langley's body had been lying, then paused abruptly.

She had come at the tail-end of Kenji's fight with Langley, and had witnessed his final, devastating attack against the white-haired vampire. So she had seen Langley's body crash through the storefront window and come to a stop, motionless.

That's where it had been, but now it was nowhere to be seen.

"Im-impossible… he was still conscious after all that!?" Tia gasped, glancing around quickly as though expecting Langley to lunge out at her.

Tia shook her head as if dismissing that idea. She knew from her experience as O'Reilly's partner that the weakness of a vampire was their head. Because of the complexities of the nervous system and the brain, injuries to these areas were exceptionally devastating, and difficult to heal quickly even with magic. A sufficiently strong blow to the head would leave a vampire unconscious for hours. She was positive that Kenji's blow was enough to completely incapacitate Langley for the time being. He could've never recovered in such a short time.

Yet it was a fact that his body had disappeared.

Tia frowned, calling her grimoire in her hand as she approached the store carefully. She quickly scanned the area to make sure the lack of body was not an illusion created by some sort of magic, then approached the window to investigate.

There didn't appear to be much of a change in the condition of the boutique window. The mannequins had still been knocked over, keeping their elegant poses despite their position on the floor of the window display. A pool of blood had gathered where Langley's body had landed, and there the shattered glass looked like it hadn't been disturbed much.

Yet there was something weird that Tia noticed almost immediately.

There was a streak of blood stretching from where the body had landed towards the back of the display, like the body had been dragged. Since the marks lead towards the back of the display, it meant that someone inside the boutique had grabbed the body and pulled it inside.

As Tia realized this, she caught movement from within the store and her eyes darted upright. She caught the telltale signs of a door at the back of the store closing. Without hesitation, she leapt through the storefront window and darted towards the back of the store, weaving through clothing racks and shelves as quickly as she could. She burst through the door she had spotted and looked around, finding herself in an alleyway.

There were no signs of movement, but on the ground at regular intervals there were fresh drops of blood making a trail that went left and turned down another dark path. Tia rushed after it, slowing her pace so she was sure she was following the trail, but trying to catch up to the mysterious thief as fast as possible.

She turned down the next alley way and came to a stop in the middle of the alley, where the trail of blood ended.

"Shit, did they realize they were leaving a trail behind!?" Tia frowned, clenching her teeth together.

As she looked around in frustration, the blonde-haired witch caught sight of the building making up one of the walls of the alley. It was a short two-story building, much smaller in relation to some of the other buildings nearby, with a flat roof judging from the air conditioning unit she could see poking up from one of the corners. Her eyes lit up in realization and she looked down at where the trail had "ended". The final drop of blood was actually a few drops pooled together, like the thief had paused in preparation to jump.

Tia narrowed her eyes and crouched, a white magical array appearing below her. She kicked off the ground and was propelled high into the air, a thin flash of light accompanying her. She landed softly on the roof and looked up, her eyes widening at the scene she saw.

Langley's body was lying on the ground, still unconscious like she had expected. However, his body was encircled by a glowing pink magical array, and a smaller, matching array hovered in the air above his torso.

Also standing on the roof was the one who had stolen Langley's body in the first place. The figure had her back to Greenhart, but the blonde-haired girl recognized them immediately from their figure and the silhouette of their clothes against the glowing light of the magical array on the ground in front of them.

"So, you found me, Tia."

The figure slowly turned around, her white-and-black robes blowing gently in the breeze as she faced the blonde-haired witch. Her golden eyes were calm and relaxed, a stark contrast to the condition Tia had last seen the violet-haired mage in.

Roseanne extended her arm outwards, holding up the object in it in presentation as she grinned softly at Tia.

In her hand, she held a small, pinkish red object. It was a little larger than a fist, and it was surrounded in an orb the same glowing pink that the array surrounding Langley's body. Within the orb, the object pulsed rhythmically, and it didn't take long for Tia to recognize its distinct shape.

It was the still-beating heart of Johnathan H. Langley.

"Roseanne, what are you doing?" Tia asked, violet eyes wide as her gaze shifted from her old friend to the pulsating organ.

"Thank you, Tia," Roseanne replied softly, giving her friend a gentle look that felt to Tia wholly unfitting to the situation they were in, "You have opened my eyes. When you first told me that the Irish Catholic Church had forced you into working for them, I couldn't believe it. No… I didn't want to believe it. But the truth is, for the longest time, I've noticed the manipulation of the Irish Catholic Church from the inside. I've been dissatisfied, but I was always convinced that there was something I could do about it. I was a fool, and you showed me that."

Tia allowed herself to relax a little at hearing Roseanne was no longer allied with the Irish Catholic Church, but her original question had gone unanswered.

"Then, if not to give it to the Church, what do you plan to do with that Vampire Heart, Roseanne?"

"Tia, look around us, look at the world around us," Roseanne replied, once again avoiding the question directly, "This is a world that favors the powerful and steps on the weak. I was there once. I was a weak girl with no family who had nothing. And yet even the organization that took me in and gave me strength merely wanted to use me. Even you, who should have been strong, wound up being stepped on by those stronger than you. Does it not DISGUST you?"

Tia didn't respond, merely watching Roseanne as she held Langley's heart in her hand and smiled.

"However, there is something we can do, Tia," Roseanne smiled, "There's a remedy to this world's corruption. I figured out what this world needs, and at is core is this beating Heart."

"What?" Tia asked, "What about that heart can heal the world's problems as easily as that?"

Roseanne's lips curled into an unsettling smile, and she pulled the beating heart closer to her chest.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, "Given the nature of Langley's abilities, which this heart has an affinity for… "

Her golden eyes darted towards Greenhart's and the blonde-haired witch took a step backwards, taken aback by the dark mania conveyed by her friend's expression.

"Destruction," Roseanne answered finally, "Once this world is in ashes, the corrupted organizations that step on the weak will also fall. Everyone's suffering will be equal. The world will be fair."

Roseanne then tugged at the orb violently, and pink strings appeared in the air, connecting the orb to the magical array hovering over Langley's torso. As she pulled, the strings snapped one by one, until the orb was no longer connected to Langley's body. The array disappeared completely, and the orb faded as well, allowing the still beating heart to fall into Roseanne's open palm directly.

"Won't you join me?" Roseanne asked, raising her other arm and reaching out towards Tia.

"Are you insane?" Tia asked, eyes widened, "You want to destroy everything!? That's not fixing the problems of the world!"

"A pity," Roseanne frowned, lowering her hand, "I suppose you have not yet realized it yet. Perhaps one day you will change your mind. Until then, farewell, Tia."

"Roseanne, wait!" Tia lunged forwards. As she dashed towards the violet-haired mage, she conjured her light staff in her hands and swung forwards.

Roseanne's eyes widened an in an instant she summoned a shadowy blade, raising it to counter Tia's blow.

"Snap out of it, Rose!" Tia yelled, "I understand you're hurt, but blaming the world and resolving to destroy it isn't the answer!"

Roseanne gave pause, as though considering the blonde-haired witch's words, but just then, a bright flash of light caught the attention of the two mages. They looked over as a large pillar of light rose high above the city, illuminating the night sky. The white blast rose high above the city, breaking through clouds and rising high into space.

"D-Dragon's Breath!?" Tia gasped, eyes wide in shock.

Roseanne's eyes narrowed and she turned her attention back towards Tia. The mage's shadowy blade erupted with dark energy, the edges of the blade swirling like flames as they surged outwards.

Tia noticed, but was too late. Roseanne cleaved straight through her light pole and Tia's spell dissipated, leaving the blonde-haired girl defenseless. Roseanne moved in and butted Tia's stomach with the handle of her blade, the energy swirling as it struck the blonde-haired witch's body.

Tia coughed and staggered back and Roseanne jumped backwards off the edge of the roof. She hovered there for an unnaturally long time, frowning slightly at Tia, before beginning to fall. As she did, her body was obscured by shadows and her form began to dissolve away as she vanished into the night.

Tia looked back over to where the brilliant light from the attack, Dragon's Breath had come from, and watched as sparkles from millions of white feathers fell back to the earth. They swirled and danced in the breeze as they drifted back down to Academy City, and Tia couldn't help but notice the stunning beauty of the scene.

Yet Tia also knew that in each of those feathers was a destructive power, and that what was beautiful from afar would be dangerous and deadly up close.

As she stood there in stunned silence, her thoughts brought a single name to the forefront of her mind, and a single tear slipped down her face as she turned to look at the body lying on the roof behind her.

" _Roseanne…"_

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

* * *

 **AN: So Langley's been defeated, but it seems a new foe is on the horizon. Before you get your hopes up, however, I'll at least let you know what Volume 2 is winding down after this. Actually, there's only one more chapter to go before Volume 2 is finished. I realize that I said this last time as well, but I don't plan on taking nearly as long to finish Volume 3 as it took me to finish Volume 2, so don't be too disappointed. I won't keep you guys hanging like that ever again.**

 **In that interim, I'm also going to go through my story here on fanfiction and try to fix any typos or formatting errors in my story. I have already begun doing this, to some extent, but it's going to take some careful scrutiny and balancing that kind of careful proofreading with writing Volume 3, going to college, and working means that it might take me a while. If you want to help out by pointing out specific errors in certain chapters, that would be appreciated, but I realize it is not the job of the readers to be editors when I've already made mistakes.**

 **At the same time, a general "there are typos everywhere, please fix them" is really super unhelpful. I know there are typos in some chapters, but giving me a general statement like "you messed up a bunch" doesn't tell me a few important things. Namely, how I messed up and where it is I messed up. I already plan on going through every chapter and fixing things because I KNOW there are typos that crop up occasionally. Pointing that out without giving me any specifics like "In Volume 2 chapter 3" is about as useful as pointing out that someone's bleeding when they're already looking around for a bandage. Once again, I'm not specifically asking for any help with finding and correcting typos in my story, but if you do want to help me, I'm going to need more than just "There's a mistake in every other chapter".**

 **Also, to avoid my reviews getting off the subject of the quality of the story itself, rather than simple mistakes that have nothing to do with the story or characters, I urge you to PM me with these notifications if you do want to help me, rather than posting a whole list of exact mistakes in the reviews. Sure, having a few people pointing out a bunch of typos and formatting errors in the reviews would, theoretically, raise my review count, but I'm not interested in that kind of "inflated" projection of reviews that don't mention the quality of the story or comments about the characters, or questions my story may bring up. Regardless of whether they're negative or positive. If you do want to help me and don't have a fanfiction account, creating one is a really simple process.**

 **Well, that's pretty much all I have to say right now. Thank you very much for reading the chapter! I hope you enjoyed. Leave a review and let me know what you thought, or feel free to ask any questions you might have regarding the story. As I said, Volume 2 is coming to a close, but we've got one week left! I'll be posting the final chapter of Volume 2 next Friday (EST), so I'll be back with another one then!**


	22. Volume 2 Chapter 10 - Slow Recovery

**_Volume 2_**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Aftermath**

 _ **Slow_RECOVERY.**_

 **Part 1**

Light filtered in through a small window in a certain dorm in District 7, hitting the face of the red-haired high school student known as Arakuyo Kenji. The Esper, who was lying on the rectangular white couch in his dorm's main room, stirred a bit before rolling over to keep the sun out of his eyes. It seemed like any other morning.

Kenji continued to lay on his bed with his eyes closed for a few moments before he became fully aware of the situation. His eyes shot open in an instant, and he pulled himself into an upright position, tossing off the blanket that had been laid over him.

The first thing he noticed is that he was shirtless, and his uniform's pants, too, had been removed, leaving him in the boxers he had worn the day before. The second thing he realized was that all his injuries from the past few days of fighting had seemed to vanish overnight. Yet unlike the first time this happened, Kenji was not shocked or confused.

"Tia-san," Kenji half-spoke, half-mumbled, letting out a tired yawn as he realized what had happened.

"Indeed," a voice spoke from behind him, and Kenji immediately leapt off the couch and whirled around, turning to the side to face it.

Before him, next to the sofa, stood the familiar form of Tia Greenhart. Rather than her Academy City clothes or her witch's outfit, the blonde-haired woman was wearing a loose fitting purple tank top and a pair of tight grey sweat shorts. Her arms were crossed loosely just underneath her chest and she leaned against the wall separating Kenji's kitchenette from the rest of his dorm.

"Tia-san!?" Kenji exclaimed a little too loudly for the morning.

"I don't know why you're so surprised. I'm not going to just heal you up and dump you off at your house," Tia replied, "Especially not given the circumstances."

Kenji frowned. Ordinarily, that would be reassuring, but given the situation, that latter phrase was concerning. Tilting his head to the side, Kenji asked, "Circumstances, what do you mean?"

"I mean Mizuki-san," Tia replied.

Kenji's eyes widened as he finally remembered the condition of the green-haired vampire, the image of her extensively injured form flashing for a brief moment into his mind.

"Mizuki-san! Is she okay!?" Kenji asked, "Where is she?"

"Relax," Tia replied, "I was able to use blood I took from Langley's body to heal a majority of Mizuki-san's injuries. I also renewed my supplies of vampire extract, which is how I healed you. She's currently resting in the other room… however…"

"However?"

"It seems Langley set of an explosion at point-blank range from Mizuki-san's head. As you know, the brain is a very sensitive organ. A vampire's brain can recover fully from injuries that would leave a human's brain permanently damaged, but severe injuries can still damage and destroy things like memories. She hasn't woken up yet, so I can't say for sure, but it's definitely possible that Mizuki-san's memories will have been affected."

"N-no way… so... she wouldn't even remember me?" Kenji asked, his eyes glazed over with an obvious sadness.

"It's possible she won't remember either of us," Tia replied, "Or she'll still view me as an enemy. Really, there's no way to tell what she'll remember."

"T-that's…" Kenji frowned, casting a sidelong glance at the door to his bedroom. Somewhere behind that door, Mizuki rested.

Seeing his downcast expression, Tia unfolded her arms and raised a finger in the air by her head, "Still, this is all hypothetical. Though, I think it would be best if I stayed here from now on, so I can monitor her closely."

"E-Eh?" Kenji's eyes widened, pushing the issue of Mizuki to the back of his mind for now, "You mean, at my dorm?"

"Yes," Greenhart nodded, "I will try not to be too much of a burden. I have plenty of money for food, and I am currently looking to obtain the necessary documents to acquire a job."

Kenji narrowed his eyes suddenly, crossing his arms and remarking, "Why do I get the feeling your motivations are more personal than wanting to watch over Mizuki-san?"

Greenhart averted her gaze awkwardly, "W-well, it's not like that watching Mizuki-san isn't my main goal, but… in truth… I only had limited funds left over from what the Irish Catholic Church gave me and O'Reilly before departing to capture Mizuki again, and it'd be hard to rent an apartment on my own, given that I'm not actually a citizen of Academy City."

Kenji's face paled as he backed up slightly, a drop of sweat rolling down the side of his face, "In other words, your request is…"

"Please let me freeload off you shamelessly for a while!"

"Gaaahhhh! How did it come to this!?" Kenji asked, ruffling his red hair with his hands, "Financially, I'm already nearly at my limit when it comes to Mizuki-san… if I let you stay, I'll have to start living like a Level 0 who gets the paid the bare minimum amount by the Power Development Program!"

"I already told you finances won't be an issue! I'm planning on getting a job here to make some extra money!" Tia pouted.

"Even considering that, this was an apartment made for one person. Two people isn't too crowded because it's large enough, but where are you going to sleep!? I couldn't even sleep in the bathtub without causing problems thanks to the western bathroom design!"

"You would consider sleeping in the bathtub to accommodate someone?" Tia remarked, briefly forgetting her pleading and putting on a concerned tone. She shook her head lightly, "Wait, that's not the issue here! I can sleep on the closet behind the sofa. There's a small storage space there, right?"

Indeed, Tia was correct. Kenji's sofa was pushed up against the wall, but the wall to the main room and the wall to the kitchenette on that side of Kenji's dorm were not lined up. The kitchenette was about a half-meter deeper than the main room's living area, and behind the sofa there was a sliding wooden panel. Kenji didn't use it for anything he needed on a regular basis, so he usually disregarded it completely.

The red-haired Esper looked at the closet hesitantly. It was true that someone could sleep in there, possibly even comfortably, but the idea of making Tia sleep in somewhere like that didn't sit well with him. Not to mention the idea of someone finding out he was living with two different females made him uneasy on its own.

"Please, Kenji-sama! I'll become your servant in this dorm of yours if you let me stay out of the kindness of your own heart!" Tia's eyes glinted as she placed a hand on her chin and smirked devilishly, "I'll even bring out my up-until-now secret 'Elegant yet Sexy Maid' outfit!"

"Wait! Th-there's really no need to go that far!" Kenji waved his hands in dismissal of such a ludicrous idea, "You don't need to become my servant or anything, you can stay here if you're fine with the closet!"

"Thank you, so much, Kenji-sama!" Tia bowed in full prostration.

"I said there's no need to become my servant!" Kenji repeated, raising his voice, "It'd be bad enough if someone caught you here normally, but if they found you in a maid outfit the rumors would extend beyond 'Arakuyo-san is a person who likes to live with girls'! Why do you even have a maid outfit anyway!?"

"E-eh!?" Tia straightened into a kneeling position, blushing madly as she realized what she had admitted to in her attempt to coerce the red-haired Epser into letting her stay, "W-well, that is…"

"No, don't tell me," Kenji reeled back, eyes wide, "The witch's clothes you wear all the time, and now the maid outfit… could it be that secretly the powerful magician known as Tia Greenhart secretly likes dressing up in cosplay!?"

Tia's face turned yet a deeper shade of red, and Kenji could see the blush spreading down her neck. She sputtered incoherently for a few moments before regaining some semblance of composure and crossing her arms over her chest.

"O-of course that's not the case," Tia replied, "I wear a witch's outfit because I'm a witch, and because I had to infiltrate places every now and again, I just happened to have some outfits left over from various things I did, that's all."

Kenji closed his eyes and nodded, as if fully accepting Tia's words as truth, "I see. So it was something like that. But I'm curious, what mission would "'Elegant yet Sexy Maid' be a requirement for infiltration."

Tia's eyes widened and her face paled, realizing that she had been a little too specific when describing her maid outfit to Kenji.

"Um, that's… well, you see… that is… erm…" Tia looked around for something to save her, when suddenly her eyes caught the digital clock hanging from Kenji's wall and she pointed to it. "S-say, Kenji, don't you have supplementary classes today?"

Kenji turned to look at the clock and his eyes widened.

"Ah! It's already that late! I should get ready! Thank you for reminding me, Tia-san!"

Kenji rushed into his bathroom without another word, and a few moments later, Tia heard the shower running from behind the door.

Letting out a sigh of relief, she relaxed for a moment, closing her eyes and resting her back against the wall behind her. A moment later, her mouth formed a slight frown, and she looked towards the door to Kenji's dorm's bedroom.

"Mizuki-san, please," Tia pleaded, despite the fact that she was nowhere near the door, and even if she was, the unconscious vampire wouldn't hear her anyway, "For Kenji's sake, please be alright."

* * *

 **Part 2**

Kenji slumped tiredly onto his desk in Kamishiri's classroom, panting heavily as he tried to recover from his nonstop sprint from his dorm to the school. He had apparently underestimated how fast he could run, and actually wound up getting to class five minutes early. It was the kind of mistake that gave away the fact that he had been running late despite making it on time.

Kenji allowed himself to close his eyes, and his mind had gone immediately snapped back to the conversation he had with Tia when he woke up.

" _So, Mizuki-san might lose her memories…"_ Kenji sighed, " _It's weird, that idea makes me feel uneasy for so many reasons. Yet, when I think about it, I haven't even known Mizuki-san for two weeks yet. There's still so much I don't know about her, and yet… I think I'd be really disappointed if it turned out she couldn't remember me."_

As Kenji was lost in thought, he failed to notice a figure approaching his desk and coming to a stop next to it.

"G-good morning, Arakuyo-kun," the voice replied.

Kenji's eyes shot open and he immediately turned to face the familiar voice, eyes widening as he caught the figure's dark brown hair and soft hazel eyes looking back at him.

"Ka-Kaede-chan, you're…!?" Kenji exclaimed loud enough to catch the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Shh!" Kaede placed a finger on her lips, quieting Kenji down and glancing around the room nervously. She then lowered her voice and whispered "Yeah, I'm alright. But I wanted to talk to you about some things."

Kenji hesitated for a moment before nodding, "Alright, but we should talk in the hallway."

The red-haired Esper stood up and the two began moving towards the door, which garnered even more attention from everyone else in the classroom. Kenji even heard the pigtailed girl mutter "How bold! This is unexpected from someone as soft-spoken as Ikazuchi…". Kaede seemed to hear too, because she lowered her head and blushed.

Kaede slid the door open and headed out, and as Kenji followed, he glanced back on the classroom and saw the icy blue eyes of Kurogori Tetsuo staring back at him with a glint of curiosity.

Once they were out in the hallway, Kenji decided to move away from the classroom door, remembering Kurogori's actions from the last time.

"Thank you, Arakuyo-kun," Kaede spoke first, smiling as she bowed slightly to the red-haired Esper, "Thank you for saving me."

"E-eh!?" Kenji replied, eyes widening as he stared at Kaede, "You mean, you remember?"

"No," Kaede shook her head, "At least not that part. I remember not being in control of myself, and I remember meeting Miyako-san, but everything else is foggy. Still, I somehow get the feeling that you're the one who wound up saving me."

"Actually," Kenji replied, scratching the side of his head, "I mean, it's not like I wasn't involved in the situation at all, but it was Mizuki-san that helped you. She was the one who defeated the ma- er… the Esper who was controlling you."

"Ah, I see," Kaede replied, her face taking on a strange, unreadable expression, "Miyako-san is a friend of yours, right? If possible, I'd like to thank her in person, and apologize for all the trouble I caused, even though I was being controlled."

At that, Kenji frowned.

He would have liked to give Kaede a smile and reply with a casual "sure!", but in given the current situation, he wasn't sure if that was a good idea.

I mean, it was entirely possible that Mizuki would completely forget everything that had happened between her and Darrian, who was using Kaede's form and mind as a perfect disguise.

"Ah, well, unfortunately, some things wound up happening yesterday, and well… "Kenji trailed off, trying to figure out how to put it without worrying Kaede too much, "Right now Mizuki's not really feeling well, so I think that would be a bad idea at the moment."

"Oh," Kaede nodded, "I see, that's too bad. I hope she feels better soon!"

"Y-yeah," was all Kenji offered in reply.

Kaede looked as though she were going to say something else, but suddenly her eyes widened and she closed her mouth. The sound of footsteps reached Kenji's ears, and the red-haired Esper whirled around to see Kamishiri and Nakare walking side-by-side.

"A-ah!" Kenji's eyes widened as well, and he bowed, "Good morning, Kamashiri-sensei, Nakare-sensei!"

"Arakuyo-kun, Ikazuchi-san," Kamishiri noted, grinning mischievously, "What are you doing out in the hallway? Not thinking about skipping my class and going on a secret date, are you?"

"D-date!?" the two high school students exclaimed in shock.

"O-of course not! Kamishiri-sensei!" Kaede denied, "We were just-"

"Arakuyo-san," Nakare interrupted, her tone harsh and rigid. Even her posture was stiff, with her back straightened completely and her labcoat properly worn over her shoulders, "This is convenient. I need to speak with you immediately."

"Huh?"

"Don't stand there like an idiot, come with me!"

Nakare grabbed Kenji's wrist and all but began dragging him off in the direction of the stairwell. It was likely she was taking him to the Power Development Lab.

"Make sure to bring my student back in one piece, Mitsu-chan!" Kamishiri yelled down the hallway in a sing-song voice. Her attitude ran totally counter to Nakare's own mood, but even still the raven-haired scientist turned around and nodded.

It wasn't long before Kenji found himself in yet another unfamiliar room of the Power Development Lab. This one seemed to be something like a personal office, and it resembled Nakare's apartment to an uncanny amount. There were filing cabinets stuffed to the brim, shelves loaded with various binders and written notes, and a litter of scratch paper with nothing but calculations and open books discussing various topics from things exclusive to Academy City, like Personal Reality, Aim Fields, and Esper Abilities to mundane things like psychology and neurology texts.

On the equally messy desk was what a laptop and a pair of computer towers that all seemed to be wired together. A monitor sat uncomfortably close to the edge of the desk behind the laptop, and a keyboard had been entirely pushed off the desk and now dangled from a wire with a single corner resting on the floor.

Nakare moved to stand behind the desk and began typing away furiously on the laptop. Lights lit up on her face as she brought up certain programs, and while Kenji couldn't see what she was doing from the other side of the desk, he could tell from her attitude that this was something serious.

Without looking up at Kenji, the raven-haired scientist frowned, "Do you recall that, a few days ago, when you collapsed in my lab, I implanted a device inside of you that would monitor your AIM Dispersion Field and vitals?"

"Y-yeah," Kenji nodded, still feeling uncomfortable that Nakare would be able to get all that information at any time without him knowing.

"Last night, around midnight, there was a strange spike in your AIM field," Nakare replied, "Well, to be more specific, in an instant, your AIM field expanded and increased in intensity, to a point that has never been recorded from anyone before. Then it jumped back down for what has been observed over the past few days."

Kenji immediately recalled the instant he regained consciousness after they were cornered by Langley's spell in the building. He had woken up just as Langley set off the explosive spell in Mizuki's face. He had watched the white-haired vampire drop Mizuki to the ground carelessly. He had been seething after witnessing that, but then Langley bend down and picked the unconscious vampire off the ground and bit into her neck after that.

In that moment, Kenji had felt something snap in his mind.

It had been very similar to the experience he had when he had fought Earthwyrm on the roof to get Mizuki back from O'Reilly. A strange sense of clarity washed over his mind and he became acutely aware of the things around him.

If he were to guess, that was the moment his AIM field spiked.

Which meant that the strange clarity and whatever was happening to his AIM field were indeed connected.

"Arakuyo-san," Nakare nodded, leaning in closely, "I know something happened. Your injuries have disappeared again, and from the looks of these readings, I'm willing to bet something drastic happened with your Esper ability. I need you to tell me exactly what happened last night. You might be tempted to leave things out, or be vague about things, but I'm going to be honest with you. I've had a hypothesis for a while now, regarding your AIM's abnormalities, and this only further supports it."

"E-eh, so you mean, you think you know what's happening to me?" Kenji asked, surprised.

"I might," Nakare nodded, "But I need you to answer me honestly. This is no longer a matter of figuring out why your AIM Dispersion Field is fluctuating a little. Arakuyo-san, I'm going to be straightforward with you. If my hypothesis is correct, then you're almost certainly going to die."

The silence that followed was uncomfortable, made worse by the fact that Nakare didn't even have any need to type anything further, leaving herself simply sitting there and waiting for Kenji's reaction.

Normally, when one is told they are possibly going to die, their reaction is a bit more extreme.

Yet the red-haired Esper known as Arakuyo Kenji merely stood there, hesitating, as though he were making a difficult decision.

"Alright," Kenji nodded, "I'll tell you what happened. All of it."

* * *

 **Part 3**

"Geez," Kenji sighed, making his way up the stairs to his dorm, "Even after all that, Nakare-sensei just told me she'd have to consult someone else about my abilities, and that she didn't need me for the rest of the day!"

The red-haired Esper had trudged at a rather slow pace in stark contrast to his all-out sprint to get to school in the first place. He had just finished explaining everything that had happened regarding his powers- the intense fight, the anger, and the sudden clarity that allowed him to push past the limits of his ability.

Naturally he left out certain things, like the fact that he was fighting a vampire and the details involving magic, but he felt like he gave Nakare enough information.

And then her response after telling him that he might die had been a brief, "I see, I'll have to consult an AIM Dispersion Field expert on this one. Naturally we won't be doing any tests today. In fact, don't even bother coming to supplementary classes unless I call you in for now."

With that brief response, Nakare had all but threw Kenji out of her office, and now he was walking home with more questions than answers.

Kenji reached his dorm room and slid his key card through the magnetic reader, and the door clicked open.

"I'm home!" the Esper called, though in hindsight it was a poor move given his goal was to not get caught having two other people- girls no less- living in his dorm. Still, despite his announcement, he received no response, and Kenji began to worry.

He hadn't expected Mizuki to respond, but Tia had been awake when he woke up. He considered the possibility of her having gone out, but she made it sound like she didn't want to leave Mizuki alone for the time being.

With that being said, the lack of response was disconcerting to say the least.

"Tia-san?" Kenji called out to the house, stepping in and closing the door behind him, "Tia-san?"

Kenji saw the door to his bedroom was left ajar, and he frowned slightly. The red-haired Esper took off his shoes at the door and headed towards the door immediately, pushing the door open and looking around the room apprehensively.

Immediately, the red-haired high school student relaxed, looking down at the scene before him and smiling slightly.

The blonde-haired witch known as Tia Greenhart was sitting in Kenji's desk chair, which had been pushed up to the bed to look over the unconscious vampire. Tia herself was slumped forwards in the chair, her grimoire resting loosely in her hands and her head tilted to the side limply as she snored.

Tia had been there when Kenji collapsed, and while he hadn't seen her fight with Roseanne, she had definitely looked worse-for-wear when she had caught Kenji just before he passed out. Even after that, she had used Langley's body to heal Mizuki and create more vampire extract, and then she had carried both him and Mizuki to his dorm. She was probably exhausted, and given the fact that she had been awake when he woke up, she might not have slept at all last night.

"Thank you, Tia-san," Kenji whispered.

The red-haired Esper then turned his attention to Mizuki.

Compared to the last time he had seen her, the green-haired vampire was much better. She still looked a little pale to Kenji, but all traces of the injuries she had sustained last night were gone. Her charred skin was healed, her broken skin was smooth and unscarred, and her face had a peaceful expression on it, as though she were merely sleeping.

Yet, according to Tia, she might not be fully healed.

The idea that Mizuki, this person before him that he had known for a laughably short amount of time, had become so important to him was difficult for Kenji to wrap his head around. But even more than that, the thought that she wouldn't even be able to remember his name when he woke up was a painful thought to deal with.

He didn't want to become a stranger to the person he had gone so far to protect.

Even if he could start over, and even if the time they'd have lost would have been less than two weeks, he didn't want Mizuki to forget.

As Kenji was struggling with these painful thoughts, a small, quiet groan reached his ears.

The red-haired Esper's eyes widened as he glanced down at Mizuki. The green-haired girl had groaned, and now she was squeezing her eyes shut as she shifted on his bed. She shifted around as though she were trying to get comfortable for a few minutes, then, slowly but surely, her eyes opened and she squinted as she tried to adjust to the light of the bedroom.

Kenji held his breath as he watched Mizuki come to, as though saying anything at all were enough to send her right back into the world of unconsciousness.

Mizuki's red eyes moved around the room with a sleepy sluggishness, scanning from left to right as she took things in. Eventually, her eyes fell upon the red-haired Esper in front of her, and Kenji froze in place completely.

She studied him up and down, not showing any sort of response, and for a moment, Kenji's heart dropped.

" _She's looking at me like I'm a stranger…"_ Kenji frowned, " _She doesn't remember, after all…"_

However, in the next moment, Mizuki's lips curled into a soft smile, and her half-lidded eyes glinted in a mixture of relief and sadness.

"Kenji-san," she spoke quietly, "I'm glad… you're okay..."

Kenji's face lit up immediately, and the red-haired Esper shook his head in laughter, "You were worrying about me? Mizuki-san, I thought you were going to die!"

Mizuki allowed herself a soft smile, "A vampire isn't going to die that easily, Kenji-san…"

Despite her words, the vampire still sounded very weak, and she suddenly bowed her head forwards and squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

"Mizuki-san!?"

"I'm fine," Mizuki muttered through clenched teeth, not very reassuringly, "Though, I think I'm gonna need more rest."

"Yeah, all the fighting's over for now," Kenji replied, "So just take it easy for now."

Mizuki nodded, keeping her eyes closed and lowering her head back down onto the white pillow. Her face relaxed and her breathing seemed to even out, so Kenji figured she had fallen asleep again. As he turned around to leave the room, however, he heard her shift on the bed behind him and she called out to him.

"Sorry for making you worry, Kenji-san… I'm sorry for being so weak…"

"You're not weak, Mizuki-san, you're…" Kenji whirled around, but Mizuki had already laid back down and was completely unresponsive again. Kenji sighed and shook his head, walking over to the door and stepping out into the main room of his dorm, closing the bedroom door behind him.

With Mizuki and Tia both sleeping in his bedroom, his dorm was quiet once more, and for a moment Kenji mused that he could almost pretend that his life had gone back to normal. As Kenji plopped himself down onto the off-white sofa that looked far too rectangular and boxy to be comfortable, he glanced over at the clock. It was still pretty early for a day of summer vacation, and despite being fully healed, his body and mind still felt exhausted from the fight the night before.

" _At least Mizuki remembers me, that's a relief,"_ Kenji thought to himself, " _Ah, but I can't even feel good about that! Something weird is going on with my Esper ability, and Nakare even thinks it could kill me. Not to mention, now that we've stopped both O'Reilly and Roseanne, the Irish Catholic Church might throw even more at us."_

Indeed, Kenji wasn't about to allow himself to relax and think that everything would be fine. Yet right now, in this moment, with the dorm quiet and the threat of foes to come still in the future, the red-haired Esper closed his eyes, and he joined Mizuki and Tia in sleep.

* * *

 **Part 4**

Somewhere in the center of a large, dimly lit room stood a tall glass tube filled with glowing liquid. Perhaps it would be more accurate to refer to the tube as a tank, for it was far larger than tubes used for transporting fluids from place to place. the ran the entire height of the room, emerging from the bottom and disappearing into the room's ceiling. Along the ceiling was a mass of machinery, though in the dim lighting it was hard to tell what any of it was for, specifically. The orange light from the tube reflected off of various devices that seemed attached to the ceiling haphazardly, giving the roof an almost organic feel. The only light aside from the tank came from the edges and floor of the room, which had small, thin lines of light running up and down their lengths, forming intricate patterns with no discernable meaning.

The tank in the middle of the room was not only filled with liquid, either. Floating upside-down, a little more than halfway from the bottom of the tank was a strange figure with long, flowing white hair.

The figure was one who was clearly an adult, yet had the fair skin and frail figure of a child. They resembled a man, but still looked effeminate enough to be a woman. They had the long, white hair and soft expression of a saint, yet the cold, calculating stare of a criminal.

The figure looked down upon someone standing at the base of the tank.

The person who had suddenly appeared was man, but his form was occluded by the darkness of the surrounding room. Despite looking directly at the tank of glowing orange liquid, the man's face was not visible, as if they had shadow clinging onto their face.

It appeared that they had been in the middle of a conversation, for what the man said next was the concluding thoughts of a request.

"In short, I would once again like to apologize on behalf of the Irish Catholic Church for the incident that occurred regarding Johnathan H. Langley, and would like you to reconsider your position on banning entry of the members of the Irish Catholic Church to Academy City."

"Hmm," the figure in the tank responded immediately. Their voice was masculine and rather calm, but had a hint of something robotic in the background. Whether this was a necessity of the figure floating upside-down in liquid or merely some form of voice amplification throughout the room was unclear. "And you are making this request to aid in your pursuit of the vampire you said possessed no latent magical ability?"

"That is correct," the man bowed, "I come on behalf of the Cardinal of the Irish Catholic Church to make this humble request."

"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to decline," the figure in the tank replied, his face betraying no emotion.

"W-what!?" the man suddenly responded, anger and surprise clear in his voice.

"Oh? Apparently the Irish Catholic Church thought that apologizing would be enough to sway me, it seems. However, there are quite a few complications with an agreement like that. For starters, the beings you call vampires do not officially exist to the world outside of the Irish Catholic Church and a few other select magic cabals. That, of course, means that officially, vampires do not exist for Academy City."

"But that's-!"

"Moreover," the figure continued, cutting of whatever protest the man beneath him was about to make, "Allying with a magic organization is not something I can do publicly without repercussions. Even unofficially allowing your organization to roam free in this city would be a problem politically. Other magic cabals aren't blind to what happens in these walls. It would be easier if I could justify it through some sort of political alliance without magic involved, but Ireland does not have a lot of power or resources. More importantly, the UK might find such an action uncomfortable, given that we'd be allying with a neighboring country. Who knows how the Anglican Church will react?"

"So, you would choose the favor of the Anglican Church over the favor of the Irish Catholic Church, then?" the man spoke, voice laced with disgust.

"Hmmm, well, I wonder about that," the figure replied, "If I were to answer honestly, I'd rather not ally with any of them. After all, in the end, the Science Side will rise up and devour the Magic Side."

The man who stood below the figure floating upside-down in the tank, who was most likely a magician, remained silent for a few moments before turning around to head off.

"I'll assure you, General Superintendent of Academy City, Aleister Crowley…" the man spoke in an ominous tone, "When the Irish Catholic Church accomplishes our goals, we will be the ones to rise up and devour our enemies. If Academy City chooses to be one of them, then so be it."

The man began walking off towards the edge of the room, where an Esper wearing a suit waited.

This room had no doors, after all. So people from the outside had to be escorted in by Espers who could manipulate and perform calculations of the 11th dimension to teleport in and out.

As the man left, Aleister smiled, and called out after him.

"Everyone who comes in here, and sees me in this state, reacts in the same way…" Aleister paused, though the man who had negotiated with him showed no indication that he was even paying attention.

"Why should a human be allowed to perform the role of a machine?"

The man gave no response, and Aleister didn't seem to expect one. Instead, the man floating upside-down in the tube turned his head and a holographic display appeared in the air in front of him. He had made no movement or indication, but he seemed to have been the one to turn it on.

On the screen was an interesting graph.

Of course, it could only really be said that it was an interesting graph from the mere fact that this person known as the General Superintendent of Academy City had the file at all.

The file was a line graph, labeled "AIM Dispersion recordings of Arakuyo Kenji".

Specifically, this was the part of the graph that showed Kenji's AIM dispersion field's "spike".

"Arakuyo Kenji," Aleister spoke, his voice nor his expression betraying any emotion, "How interesting. The power you hold will no doubt be an invaluable asset to me, in the near future. You, along with that Imagine Breaker, and of course the Number 1…"

Suddenly, another monitor popped up, and Aleister narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Hmm, yes. Perhaps him, too, will join the collection of powerful pieces that have been gathering within the city all of a sudden."

Aleister closed the first monitor, and took a brief look at the second.

Rather than being a chart or some sort of graph, it was the Power Development Program's records of a certain Esper, with things like general information and their abilities, as well as any records of experimentation, and of course their system scans.

Aleister read over the file at a blinding speed, then took one last look at the photograph of the Esper the file belonged to.

The figure's blue hair and icy blue eyes would've been unmistakable, but the name left no doubts who the file's owner was.

 _Kurogori Tetsuo_

 ** _-VOLUME 2 END-_**

* * *

 **AN: There you guys go, the final chapter of Volume 2! It shouldn't be too long until I start uploading Volume 3 (since I'm already working hard on it, and I should have it done shortly). I'll also be trying to fix the errors that have been brought to my attention, in addition to any I find on my own. If you go back to certain chapters and see minor changes, that's why, but I'm not going to change any major words or important plot points.**

 **There really isn't much for me to say on this one other than that. So for the time being, I hope you guys enjoyed the final chapter of Volume 2! Leave a review and tell me what to think, and be sure to follow the story so you guys can see when I start uploading Volume 3! I'm really excited for Volume 3 because I have a lot planned for it, so like I said, I should be finished with a rough draft and start uploading it in far less time than it took this Volume to come out. I can't go with my usual sign-off today, but I'll definitely be back with another one really soon!**


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